The death of ideology | John Mearsheimer [Full Interview]

John Mearsheimer discusses how the current global political issues came to be. How do states think? Join this exclusive interview to watch distinguished and controversial political theorist John Mearsheimer discuss the issues at the heart of the struggle for global power. To understand world politics, Mearsheimer argues, you need to understand how states think. From Russia’s invasion to Ukraine, to whether ideology or realism guides geopolitics, Mearsheimer seeks to uncover the inner workings of our anarchical world. #politicalideologies #johnmearsheimer #internationalrelations John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and is considered to be one of the most influential international relations theorists of his generation. 00:00 Introduction 01:28 Why is the realist school for international relations the best framework for explaining how states behave? 03:40 How do you understand the criticism that Russia choosing to invade rather than bomb Ukraine is a sign of an attempt to conquer rather than neutralise? 06:15 Why do you think the realist framework underplays dramatic declarations of ideology by political leaders like this? 10:15 Can states be influenced by ideology? If so, is that a falsification of your own realist thesis? 11:51 Do you think the realist framework should adjust to make sense of these counterexamples? 13:41 Do you think the critique that the US focusing on China has caused the world to go up in flames is credible? 15:50 Why do you think Israel has been sabotaging a two-state solution with Palestine? 19:41 Is the realist framework good for describing or prescribing how states should behave? Watch him debate the enlightenment and its alternatives here: The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! For debates and talks: For articles: For courses: