Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism

The theme of the article – a widely spread appealing to Thucydides and his famous “History of the Peloponnesian War” as some sort of the “sanctions” for scientific respectability of the theoretical studies of international relations. Such an attitude was formed under the influence of Thomas Hobbes a...

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Main Author: T. A. Alekseeva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Jurist, Publishing Group 2015-09-01
Series:Сравнительная политика
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.sravpol.ru/jour/article/view/311
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author T. A. Alekseeva
author_facet T. A. Alekseeva
author_sort T. A. Alekseeva
collection DOAJ
description The theme of the article – a widely spread appealing to Thucydides and his famous “History of the Peloponnesian War” as some sort of the “sanctions” for scientific respectability of the theoretical studies of international relations. Such an attitude was formed under the influence of Thomas Hobbes and later supported by “political realism” as one of the most popular paradigms in the theory of international relations. The “interpretation of the interpretations” demonstrates, that the texts of Thucydides are often badly read and not always rightly understood, his conclusions are eradicated out of context, and they got too extended interpretation. The result many of his ideas are oversimplified or even misrepresented or distorted. From our point of view, the “classics” deserve a more cautious attitude, and the quoting of their works ought to be more weighted and thought of, at the very least nor to be automatic.
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spelling doaj-art-bd483eb6d2b4428aba863b322893c91a2025-08-20T04:00:01ZengJurist, Publishing GroupСравнительная политика2221-32792412-49902015-09-0163(20)72010.18611/2221-3279-2015-6-3(20)-7-20290Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political RealismT. A. AlekseevaThe theme of the article – a widely spread appealing to Thucydides and his famous “History of the Peloponnesian War” as some sort of the “sanctions” for scientific respectability of the theoretical studies of international relations. Such an attitude was formed under the influence of Thomas Hobbes and later supported by “political realism” as one of the most popular paradigms in the theory of international relations. The “interpretation of the interpretations” demonstrates, that the texts of Thucydides are often badly read and not always rightly understood, his conclusions are eradicated out of context, and they got too extended interpretation. The result many of his ideas are oversimplified or even misrepresented or distorted. From our point of view, the “classics” deserve a more cautious attitude, and the quoting of their works ought to be more weighted and thought of, at the very least nor to be automatic.https://www.sravpol.ru/jour/article/view/311realisminternational relationspolitical philosophy
spellingShingle T. A. Alekseeva
Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism
Сравнительная политика
realism
international relations
political philosophy
title Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism
title_full Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism
title_fullStr Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism
title_full_unstemmed Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism
title_short Re-reading the “Classics”: Thucydides and Political Realism
title_sort re reading the classics thucydides and political realism
topic realism
international relations
political philosophy
url https://www.sravpol.ru/jour/article/view/311
work_keys_str_mv AT taalekseeva rereadingtheclassicsthucydidesandpoliticalrealism