Realism has been the most influential theoretical approach in international relations since the
discipline was born. Yet realism for all its popularity has always been criticised for its
narrow world view of a system of states all seeking power security and survival in a world of
anarchy. Additionally realism has struggled to provide explanations for some of the major
events and evolutions in world politics. The timing of the outbreak of wars the disappearance
of superpowers and trends of regionalisation are all inadequately explained by realism leaving
the critic to ask simply why? Dylan Kissane answers this question by going to the core of
realist theory and arguing that realism s problems stem from a critical yet flawed assumption
about the nature of the international system. By assuming an anarchical system realists
diminish the complexity of international politics and blind themselves to the impact of
substate actors. In this book Kissane opens the door to re-founding international relations
theory not on anarchy but on the assumption of a complex international system. Drawing on an
interdisciplinary literature and offering a novel application of complexity theory to
international politics Beyond Anarchy is the beginning of a new and exciting stream of
international relations theory for the twenty-first century.
