If it is the case that nuclear weapons are defensive in nature and have little use for offensive purposes, the United States concern about nuclear proliferation stems from a fear of irrational actors and a weakening of US world dominance. I use “defensive in nature” in the context of nuclear weapons to mean it is intended, by rational states, to deter attacks from other states and is not intended to be used as a first strike. By “irrational actors” I mean states that act in a way that violates their perceived best interests. In chapter two of “The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed”, Scott D. Sagan explains the flaws in the idea that states possessing nuclear weapons will be rational actors. There is an assumption that all states
