
John Mearsheimer
An American political scientist and international relations scholar. A clip of him from a previous All-In Summit is played where he is shown to have accurately predicted the dynamics of the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran.
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7/13/2025, 5:56:21 PM
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7/22/2025, 4:45:29 AM
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7/13/2025, 6:03:07 PM
Summary
John Mearsheimer is a prominent American political scientist and international relations scholar, widely recognized for developing the theory of offensive realism. He holds the position of R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago and is considered a leading realist of his generation. His theory of offensive realism posits that great powers are driven by a rational desire to achieve regional hegemony within an anarchic international system, leading him to predict potential conflict between China and the United States due to China's rising power. Mearsheimer is also known for his controversial 2007 book, *The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy*, which argues that the Israel lobby exerts excessive influence over American foreign policy. More recently, he has been a vocal critic of the 'liberal international order' and has contended that Western policies bear responsibility for the Russo-Ukrainian War. His insights into geopolitical dynamics, including those related to the Israel-Iran conflict, have been referenced in various discussions about international relations and US foreign policy.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Alma Mater
Cornell University (MA, PhD)
Elected To
American Academy (2003)
Occupation
Political Scientist, International Relations Scholar
Nationality
American
Date of Birth
1947-12-14
Notable Award
Joseph Lepgold Book Prize (for The Tragedy of Great Power Politics)
Place of Birth
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Current Position
R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago
School of Thought
Realism, Offensive Realism
Timeline
- Born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. (Source: Wikidata)
1947-12-14
- Graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point). (Source: Web Search)
1970-01-01
- Began five years of service as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. (Source: Web Search)
1970-01-01
- Received a Master's degree in International Relations from the University of Southern California. (Source: Web Search)
1974-01-01
- Started graduate school in political science at Cornell University. (Source: Web Search)
1975-01-01
- Received a Master's degree from Cornell University. (Source: Web Search)
1978-01-01
- Spent the academic year as a research fellow at the Brookings Institution. (Source: Web Search)
1979-01-01
- Received his Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University. (Source: Web Search)
1981-01-01
- Began teaching at the University of Chicago. (Source: Web Search)
1982-01-01
- Published his first book, 'Conventional Deterrence', which won the Edgar S. Furniss, Jr., Book Award. (Source: Web Search)
1983-01-01
- Became an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago. (Source: Web Search)
1984-01-01
- Became a Full Professor at the University of Chicago. (Source: Web Search)
1987-01-01
- Published 'Liddell Hart and the Weight of History'. (Source: Web Search)
1988-01-01
- Served as Chairman of the Political Science department at the University of Chicago until 1992. (Source: Web Search)
1989-01-01
- Appointed the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor. (Source: Web Search)
1996-01-01
- Published 'The Tragedy of Great Power Politics', which won the Joseph Lepgold Book Prize. (Source: Web Search)
2001-01-01
- Elected to the American Academy. (Source: Web Search)
2003-01-01
- Co-authored and published 'The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy' with Stephen M. Walt. (Source: Summary)
2007-01-01
- Published 'Why Leaders Lie: The Truth About Lying in International Politics'. (Source: Web Search)
2011-01-01
- Published 'The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities'. (Source: Web Search)
2018-01-01
- A clip of John Mearsheimer was played on the All-In podcast, where he had 'prophetically outlined' geopolitical dynamics relevant to the Israel-Iran conflict. (Source: Related Document)
2024-05-28
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaJohn Mearsheimer
John Joseph Mearsheimer (; born December 14, 1947) is an American political scientist and international relations scholar. He is R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. Mearsheimer is best known for developing the theory of offensive realism, which describes the interaction between great powers as being primarily driven by the rational desire to achieve regional hegemony in an anarchic international system. In accordance with his theory, Mearsheimer believes that China's growing power will likely bring it into conflict with the United States. In his 2007 book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, Mearsheimer argues that the Israel lobby wields disproportionate influence over U.S. foreign policy. His more recent work focuses on criticism of the "liberal international order" and why he believes the West is to blame for the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Web Search Results
- John Mearsheimer | Department of Political Science
John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He graduated from West Point in 1970 and then served five years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He then started graduate school in political science at Cornell University in 1975. He received his PhD in 1980. He spent the 1979-1980 academic year as a research fellow at the Brookings Institution, and was a post-doctoral fellow at [...] Professor Mearsheimer has written extensively about security issues and international politics more generally. He has published six books: Conventional Deterrence (1983), which won the Edgar S. Furniss, Jr., Book Award; Liddell Hart and the Weight of History (1988); The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001, 2014), which won the Joseph Lepgold Book Prize and has been translated into nine different languages; The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy (with Stephen M. Walt, 2007), which made the [...] He has also written many articles that have appeared in academic journals like International Security, and popular magazines like Foreign Affairs and the London Review of Books. Furthermore he has written op-ed pieces for newspapers like theNew York Times and the Financial Times dealing with topics like Bosnia, nuclear proliferation, US policy towards India, the failure of Arab-Israeli peace efforts, the folly of invading Iraq, the causes of the Ukrainian crisis, and the likelihood of Iran
- John J. Mearsheimer | Biography, Books, & Facts - Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica Encyclopedia Britannica Mearsheimer, John J. Mearsheimer, John J. # John J. Mearsheimer Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. John J. Mearsheimer (born December 14, 1947, New York, New York, U.S.) is a prominent American scholar of international relations best known for his theory of offensive realism. [...] After graduating from the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1970, Mearsheimer served for five years as an officer in the air force, rising to the rank of captain. Unsatisfied with military life, he decided to pursue graduate studies rather than become a career officer. He received a master’s degree (1974) in international relations from the University of Southern California, as well as a master’s degree (1978) and a Ph.D. (1981) in government from Cornell University. He was later a [...] Mearsheimer’s other works included Conventional Deterrence (1983), Liddell Hart and the Weight of History (1988), Why Leaders Lie: The Truth About Lying in International Politics (2011), The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities (2018), and scores of articles published in academic journals. He also frequently participated in public debates by contributing op-ed articles to the The New York Times and other national newspapers. In 2003 he was elected to the American Academy
- John Mearsheimer - Wikipedia
Mearsheimer is the leading proponent of offensive realism. The structural theory, unlike the classical realism "Classical realism (international relations)") of Hans Morgenthau, places the principal emphasis on security competition among great powers within the anarchy of the international system, not on the human nature of statesmen and diplomats. In contrast to another structural realist theory, the defensive realism of Kenneth Waltz, offensive realism maintains that states are not satisfied [...] Since 1982, Mearsheimer has been a member of the faculty "Faculty (division)") of the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. He became an associate professor in 1984 and a full professor in 1987 and was appointed the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor in 1996. From 1989 to 1992, he served as chairman of the department. He also holds a position as a faculty member in the Committee on International Relations "Committee on International Relations (University [...] ## Selected works ### Books ### Journal articles ## See also ## References `{{cite journal}}` ## Further reading ## External links | v t") e John Mearsheimer | | | --- | --- | | Bibliography | | | Books | The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001) The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy (2007) Why Leaders Lie (2011) The Great Delusion (2018) | | Articles | Why the Soviets Can't Win Quickly in Central Europe (1982) | | Concept | Offensive realism |
- John Mearsheimer's Theory of Offensive Realism and the Rise of ...
John Mearsheimer is one of these pessimists and arguably one of the most prominent skeptics of China’s “peaceful rise” (referring to China’s foreign policy which has sought to mitigate the “China Threat” school of thought). Underpinning his skepticism of China’s peaceful rise is a compelling formulation of offensive realism. The aim of this essay is to examine whether Mearsheimer’s theory of offensive realism provides a logically coherent basis for the view that the rise of China will be [...] In an international system filled with such uncertainty regarding states’ intentions, the nature of states’ military capabilities and other states’ assistance in a struggle against hostile states, Mearsheimer (2001, 31) argues that the best way for great powers to ensure their survival – a goal which is favored above all others – is to maximize power and pursue hegemony. The pursuit of regional and global hegemony among all great powers gives rise to constant security competition with the [...] Mearsheimer, John J. 1995. “The False Promise of International Institutions.” International Security 19(3): 5-49. Mearsheimer, John J. 2001. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: W. W. Norton. Mearsheimer, John J. 2005. “The Rise of China Will Not Be Peaceful at All.” The Australian, November 18. Available at: mearsheimer.uchicago.edu/pdfs/P0014.pdf (accessed November 18, 2013). Mearsheimer, John J. 2006a. “China’s Unpeaceful Rise.” Current History 105(690): 160-162.
- Offensive realism - Wikipedia
Offensive realism is a structural theory in international relations that belongs to the neorealist "Neorealism (international relations)") school of thought and was put forward by the political scholar John Mearsheimer in response to defensive realism. Offensive realism holds that the anarchic nature of the international system is responsible for the promotion of aggressive state behavior in international politics. The theory fundamentally differs from defensive realism by depicting great [...] John Mearsheimer summed up this view as follows: "great powers recognize that the best way to ensure their security is to achieve hegemony now, thus eliminating any possibility of a challenge by another great power. Only a misguided state would pass up an opportunity to be the hegemon in the system because it thought it already had sufficient power to survive." Accordingly, offensive neorealists such as Mearsheimer believe that a state's best strategy to increase its relative power to the point
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DBPedia
View on DBPediaJohn Joseph Mearsheimer (/ˈmɪərʃaɪmər/; born December 14, 1947) is an American political scientist and international relations scholar, who belongs to the realist school of thought. He is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. He has been described as the most influential realist of his generation. Mearsheimer is best known for developing the theory of offensive realism, which describes the interaction between great powers as being primarily driven by the rational desire to achieve regional hegemony in an anarchic international system. In accordance with his theory, Mearsheimer believes that China's growing power will likely bring it into conflict with the United States. In his 2007 book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, Mearsheimer argues that the Israeli lobby wields disproportionate influence over US foreign policy.
