The Meaning of Anarchy in International Relations

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Anarchy in international relations refers to the absence of hierarchy and higher authority among nations. In an anarchic world, states have no higher authority to turn to and must compete with each other for power. This competition arises because in the absence of hierarchy, individuals in the state of nature compete for power. Thomas Hobbes argued that creating a state, or Leviathan, is necessary to escape anarchy and establish hierarchy. However, in international politics, there is no world state, resulting in an anarchic system. In such a system, states must strive to maximize their relative power to ensure survival. Weakness in international politics can lead to exploitation by stronger powers, as evidenced by the Century of National Humiliation in China. Therefore, states are encouraged to be as powerful as possible in the anarchic system of international relations.

John Mearsheimer is an international relations scholar at University of Chicago. He is one of the most influential and controversial thinkers in the world on the topics of war and power. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/john-mearsheimer-transcript

EPISODE LINKS:
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John’s Books:
The Tragedy of Great Power Politics: https://amzn.to/3FWrqkX
How States Think: https://amzn.to/3udaWST
The Great Delusion: https://amzn.to/3syXKXS
Why Leaders Lie: https://amzn.to/3ucs4rU
The Israel Lobby: https://amzn.to/47fxrVU
Books Mentioned:
Leviathan: https://amzn.to/49zCFgu
The End of History and the Last Man: https://amzn.to/47wTVBf
Who Are We: https://amzn.to/3QXDk44

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(09:52) – Power
(33:06) – Hitler
(50:33) – Russia and Ukraine
(1:46:45) – Israel and Palestine
(2:47:37) – China
(3:29:58) – Life and mortality