Kenneth Waltz (political scientist)
Kenneth Waltz was a prominent American political scientist known for his influential work in international relations theory, particularly in the realms of structural realism, or neorealism. Born on June 8, 1924, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Waltz pursued higher education after serving in World War II and the Korean War, ultimately earning a doctorate from Columbia University in 1954. His foundational work, **Man, the State and War**, examined the causes of war and established him as a leading thinker in international politics.
Waltz’s theories suggested that the competition between superpowers, specifically during the Cold War, contributed to global stability, a view that sparked considerable debate. His later work, **Theory of International Politics**, further developed the principles of structural realism, positing that states act in self-interest within an anarchic international system. Notably, he controversially argued in favor of nuclear proliferation as a means to enhance world peace and suggested that Iran obtaining nuclear weapons could improve regional stability.
Throughout his career, Waltz taught at various esteemed institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University, influencing generations of political scientists. His contributions to the field earned him numerous accolades, solidifying his legacy as a pivotal figure in political science until his passing on May 12, 2013. His ideas, while controversial, remain foundational in discussions of international relations theory today.
Kenneth Waltz (political scientist)
Professor and international relations theorist
- Born: June 8, 1924
- Birthplace: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Died: May 12, 2013
- Place of death: Manhattan, New York
Education: bachelor's degree from Oberlin College; doctoral degree from Columbia University
Significance: Kenneth Waltz was one of the main international political theorists of the twentieth century. Waltz helped define political science as a distinct subject area, and he contributed many theories to its study. Some of Waltz's ideas were controversial, such as the idea that Iran should be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, a concept that was condemned by many world leaders. Nevertheless, Waltz was one of the leaders in his field, and he helped train and teach many important thinkers in international relations. He laid important groundwork for the field of international politics, and his work still affects the field in the twenty-first century.
Background
Kenneth Waltz was born on June 8, 1924, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Neither of Waltz's parents graduated from high school, but Waltz was able to finish high school, college, and graduate school. He served in World War II and then he earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Oberlin College. After this, he started graduate school at Columbia University, where he studied political science. In 1950, he was called up to serve again in the Korean War, as he had remained in the Army Reserve. Although Waltz had served in two wars, he later criticized American military intervention. He was an early critic of the American efforts in Vietnam, and he was critical of President George W. Bush's actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Waltz earned his doctoral degree from Columbia in 1954. His thesis became the book Man, the State and War: A Theoretical Analysis, which helped bring Waltz to the forefront of international political theory. The book was used in international relations classes for decades after it was published. Waltz became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley in 1971 and eventually became professor emeritus. In 1987, he became the president of the American Political Science Association. Over the years, he taught at several other institutions, including Swarthmore and Brandeis, before returning to Columbia University in the 1990s. At Columbia, he worked as a senior research scholar at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. Throughout his career, Waltz received many honors for his work. In 1999, he received the American Political Science Association's James Madison Award. Waltz died on May 12, 2013, in Manhattan, New York. He was eighty-eight years old.
Life's Work
Waltz's book Man, the State and War: A Theoretical Analysis helped launch his career. Soon after its publication, he became a well-known thinker in his field, and his opinions were widely respected. However, a number of his opinions about international relations were controversial. During the Cold War, Waltz argued that the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, which were the two largest world powers at the time and competed against each other for dominance, was actually good. Waltz believed the competition between the two countries helped maintain stability in international politics. This theory was divisive, especially since Waltz was an American. Many Americans believed the United States should be the only superpower.
In 1979, Waltz made another important contribution to his field when he published the book Theory of International Politics. The book helped develop the idea of structural realism, or neorealism. This theory tried to explain how countries, especially powerful countries, interact with one another. The theory tries to explain why war happens, why states fail, why alliances form, and why arms races occur. The theory is sometimes called structural realism because it tries to explain world events based on the power structures in the world. The theory is based on two defining principles. The first is that the world does not have an overall power structure, and each autonomous state is acting on its own and in its own self-interest. The second is that power is spread across the international system, but it is spread unevenly. According to this theory, countries that want to be secure have to pay attention to and work within the structural constraints. Not doing so could break down structures, making the offending country and many other countries less stable and more vulnerable.
In 1981, Waltz published a paper called "The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More May Be Better." In the paper, Waltz argued that nuclear proliferation might be better for world peace than nonproliferation. Waltz's argument supported allowing nearly all nations to have nuclear weapons. This idea was very controversial, and many world leaders disapproved of it. He further explained this idea in a 1995 book called The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed. In 2012, Waltz again made waves with an article called "Why Iran Should Get the Bomb." The article claimed that international relations in the Middle East would improve if Iran had a nuclear bomb. This idea was extremely contentious, especially in the United States, and Waltz was criticized for the piece.
Impact
Waltz's writings became required reading for many political science students. His thinking influenced generations of political scientists. A number of Waltz's students went on to have important careers, and he influenced government leaders and lawmakers. The study of international politics would not be the same today if not for the groundwork that Waltz help put down, and his theory of neorealism is still one of the most cited theories in the field.
Some of Waltz's most important and influential ideas were also some of his most controversial. He believed the bipolar relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union was good for international relations. He further believed that the downfall of the Soviet Union was bad for the world. Waltz felt that this allowed the United States to become an unrivaled power in the world and that the United States took advantage of this power and became too strong. This idea was controversial, but it helped shaped ideas about international relations in some circles.
Personal Life
Waltz was married to Helen Lindsley. She died in 2008. Waltz had two sons.
Principal Works
- Man, the State and War: A Theoretical Analysis, 1959
- Theory of International Politics, 1979
- "The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More May Be Better,"1981
- The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed, 1995
- Realism and International Politics, 2008
Bibliography
Betts, Richard. "Kenneth Waltz." Time, 27 May 2013, content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2143566,00.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.
"Kenneth Waltz, Theorist of International Relations, Dies at 88." Columbia University, gsas.columbia.edu/news/kenneth-waltz-theorist-international-relations-dies-88. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.
Langer, Emily "Kenneth N. Waltz, Scholar of International Relations, Dies at 88." The Washington Post, 21 May 2013, www.washingtonpost.com/national/kenneth-n-waltz-scholar-of-international-relations-dies-at-88/2013/05/21/0dd74ac0-c179-11e2-bfdb-3886a561c1ff‗story.html?utm‗term=.63b207bd530f. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.
Lieshout, Robert H. "Waltz, Kenneth (1924–)." Encyclopedia of Power, edited by Keith Dowding, SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011.
Martin, Douglas. "Kenneth Waltz, Foreign-Relations Expert, Dies at 88." The New York Times, 18 May 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/us/kenneth-n-waltz-who-helped-shape-international-relations-as-a-discipline-dies-at-88.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.
Stuster, J. Dana. "Requiem for a Realist." Foreign Policy, 16 May 2013, foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/16/requiem-for-a-realist/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.
Zhou, Mary. "Kenneth Waltz, Principal Theorist in International Relations, Dies at 88." The Daily Californian, 29 May 2013, www.dailycal.org/2013/05/29/kenneth-waltz-principal-theorist-in-international-relations-dies-at-88/. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.