Man, the State, and War

Kenneth Waltz's seminal work examines the root causes of war by analyzing three 'images': individual human nature (first image), the internal structure of states (second image), and the anarchic international system (third image).

The book argues that while all three levels contribute to conflict, the third image—the absence of a central authority in global politics—serves as the fundamental condition enabling wars.

Waltz critiques classical and modern thinkers while establishing a framework for understanding interstate conflict that remains influential in realist international relations theory.