Expanding Realism: The Historical Dimension of World Politics

In this engaging book, eminent scholar George Liska demonstrates the intricate and complex relationship between world politics and world history, and he proposes a systematic, but fundamentally new method of thinking about world politics. Building on ideas developed in his earlier works, particularly the legacy of the Cold War, Liska expands his 'geopolitical' approach into a 'geohistorical' one. Rejecting the idea that periods and events should be viewed as static, fixed structures, Liska's analysis reveals the cyclical nature of world history and develops a new kind of realism that encompasses the problems of expansion and evolution. This innovative book by a world renowned political thinker has far reaching implications that will be valuable to all students and scholars of international relations, world history, and the philosophy of history.

George Liska is Paul H. Nitze and distinguished service professor at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.