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An original interpretation of Aristotle's political thought focusing on war and peace.
With the post–Cold War international order under stress, Stephen P. Sims reconsiders the relationship between war, peace, and politics by returning to the thought of Aristotle. The City Among Cities offers new ways of thinking about Aristotle, connecting his themes of inequality—such as slavery or aristocracy—to his observations on war and hegemonic politics. By contrasting Aristotle's approach with the foundational theories of international relations, Sims argues that hierarchy and coercion are permanent features of political life that democratic nations ignore at their own peril.
"I know of no manuscript that deals as comprehensively with 'Aristotle on war and peace' and does so intelligently, with an appreciation of all the insights, subtleties, and tensions that inform the Greek philosopher's thought and that of all his modern and contemporary critics. Sims shows, without polemics, that much of contemporary 'theory' simply ignores an approach to war and peace that, while acknowledging necessities and constraints outside the statesman's control, gives pride of place to humane prudence and a judicious recognition of the limits and possibilities inherent in international life. Aristotle, and his deft interpreter, frees us from both scientism and the stranglehold of the realist-idealist dichotomy." — Daniel J. Mahoney, Assumption University