In the Land of Thucydides
I gave a lecture in Athens on 2 June 2026 that was hosted by two prestigious Greek organizations: the Council for International Relations and the Institute of International Relations. I was asked to speak about why I think Realism explains contemporary geopolitical developments better than any other theory. I was fully aware that I was speaking in the home of Thucydides, the first great realist thinker.
Theory, which relates to Theatre, is an attempt to produce Order from disorder. At the 3 minute mark, JM spills the beans in mentioning how Complicated our world is - complication being disorder, plain and simple, unlike Complexity.
Professor Mearsheimer,
I believe the three major geopolitical theories congeal into Empire theory (if there is such a theory) in explaining how the world currently works. In Empire theory a great or wannabe great power is inherently aggressive, it is their substance. They don’t care about forms of other entities manner of rule, only of control of those entities by setting up economic dependencies and incorporating them into the Empire’s legal and financial systems. Uncooperative entities are punished by the Empire, whether or not the entities and their resources are vital or of interest to the Empire. Constant aggression and control is the Empire’s meat and potatoes. This, I think, explains realistically how the world currently (and as it has throughout history) works.