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Security in Anarchy

Utopian Realism in Theory and Practice

Bibliographic Data

ID4032478
AuthorsKen Booth (corresponding author)
Year1991
Volume67
Issue3
Pages527
Publication date1991-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-5850 • E-ISSN: 1468-2346
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2621950
OpenAlexW2332000911
LanguageEN
Citations received96

Realism-the view that war is inescapable in a system where sovereign states compete for power and advantage to one another's detriment-still dominates thinking about international relations. Ken Booth argues that, as world politics continue to surprise us, a worldview in which war is seen as a rational policy choice is unacceptable. It is too soon in history to conclude that the international system is necessarily a 'war system'. As states become less important in what has been called the 'new medievalism', he arguesfor decentralizing power evenfurther towards a global civil society and a global community of communities. He quotes Oscar Wilde: 'A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not even worth glancing at.'

Aesthetics · Economics · Epistemology · Law and economics · Mathematical economics · Realism · Sociology · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Military and Defense Studies · Philosophy · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East

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Unique citing works96
Citations per year2,91
Citation span1993 - 2026 (34)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 87
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