Classical realism
Find an edition Politics Among Nations
Power, national interest, diplomacy, and the pursuit of peace. A central starting point for the Institute’s classical realism program.
Resources
The classical realism reading room
Foundational texts, related traditions, and paths into independent study.
Begin with the arguments themselves. This initial reading list connects classical realism with history, ethics, and the foundations of inquiry. Catalog links help you locate available editions through libraries and booksellers.
Start with statecraft
Morgenthau
Read Politics Among Nations alongside the first documentary.
Add moral complexity
Niebuhr & Weber
Examine collective power, responsibility, and the costs of political action.
Examine your method
Popper
Ask how an argument can be tested, criticized, and improved.
8 works
Classical realism
Find an edition Scientific Man vs. Power Politics
Political judgment and the limits of confidence in technical solutions to the problems of political life.
Ethics
Find an edition Moral Man and Immoral Society
Individual morality, collective power, and the difficulty of achieving justice through social and political action.
Classical realism
Find an edition History of the Peloponnesian War
Historical inquiry into conflict, political choice, fear, interest, and the fortunes of communities at war.
Classical realism
Find an edition The Twenty Years’ Crisis
A foundational engagement with realism, utopianism, interests, and the problems of international order.
Epistemology
Find an edition The Open Society and Its Enemies
Political criticism, fallibility, and the defense of institutions that permit open inquiry and correction.
Epistemology
Find an edition The Logic of Scientific Discovery
Problems of scientific method, testing, and the evaluation of explanatory claims.
Ethics
Find an edition Politics as a Vocation
Political leadership, conviction, consequences, and the responsibilities of public action.
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