Kenneth N. Waltz (1924–2013)

The Spread of Nuclear Weapons features two of the leading scholars on international security, Scott D. Sagan and Kenneth N. Waltz, debating the question of whether nuclear weapons proliferation would be bad for the world. Sagan takes the view that it would be bad while Waltz takes the position that it would not necessarily be bad and might even be a net positive for international security.

The book begins with Waltz and Sagan laying out their arguments and presenting the scholarly and show more historical evidence that supports them. They then go into a debate regarding how the proliferation of nuclear weapons to South Asia has affected the Indo-Pakistani conflict. The book then ends with Waltz and Sagan responding directly to the other's arguments.

The Spread of Nuclear Weapons is an excellent book for anyone looking to find a primer on the arguments for and against attempting to halt nuclear weapons proliferation. While there is a lot of theory in the book, it is of a type that is easy to follow even for people who are not trained in international and national security issues. The only thing really missing is a cost-benefit analysis. But that oversight does little to detract from the overall quality. show less

ما هي أسباب الحرب ولماذا يقتل البشر بعضهم على نطاق واسع؟ وهل يمكن منع ذلك؟
يحاول الكتاب الإجابة على هذا السؤال عن طريق فحص وتحليل أفكار المفكرين والفلاسفة عبر التاريخ، وتصنيف وجهات نظرهم ضمن ثلاثة أنماط: 1- الطبيعة البشرية؛ 2- هيكلية الدول الداخلية؛ 3- فوضوية العلاقات show more الدولية. فيتناول كل نمط على حدى بالتمحيص والدراسة مبيناً مواقف المؤيدين والمعارضين من الفلاسفة. يصل أخيراً إلى خلاصة مفادها أنه وإن كان خروج العلاقات الدولية عن السيطرة وعدم إمكانية إخضاعها إلى قانون موحد يلعب الدور الأكبر في قيام الحروب، إلا أنه لا يمكننا إهمال دور الأنماط الأخرى، كالتوحش المتأصل في الطبيعة البشرية.

وجدته كتاباً هاماً يستحق مراجعة أعمق. ربما لاحقاً show less

A very impressive book which has still held up over the past few decades. Analyzes the relations between human nature and war, the structure and nature of political states, and also the structure of the international diplomatic system. A very systematic and solid introduction to neo-realist analysis of modern politics, and one that still is very much worth reading.

This important book clearly and succinctly lays out the opposing views on whether nuclear proliferation makes the world more or less peaceful.