The Peloponnesian War Analysis

Giving only a cursory glance, one could thumb through Thucydides’ The Peloponnesian War and view it simply as a mere historical curiosity. Written about events occurring almost twenty five hundred years ago, one would assume this lengthy text could not serve any contemporary purpose. Modern mechanized arms have advanced far beyond the hoplite and chariot. Triremes more resemble a third world fishing vessel rather than an aircraft carrier or a destroyer. However, examining beyond these superficial military means, one would discover Thucydides’ words a timeless study of human interaction on both individual and state-level scales. A testament to his insight into human nature, in describing the struggles of those who fought in the Peloponnesus, …show more content…
Eschewing liberal and constructivist ideologies in favor of a realistic perspective, I argue a state’s struggle for survival spurs competition in an anarchic environment. Despite numerous alluring veneers attempting to conceal and transform its obvious, persistent warts, human nature serves as the enduring connective tissue linking both the past to the present and the past to the future. At its foundation, a state is the projections of the basest human needs to survive and secure means for that survival. However, unlike an individual under the purview of a higher government, states have always existed in an anarchic environment with no guarantors of survival. As a result, a state must constantly compete with other states not solely for the sake of position, but, more importantly, for a more secure existence. This realistic perspective describes the fundamental nature of all state action. Although the form of struggle (economic, military, diplomatic, etc.) may vary, states will always act in their best interest so as to secure their continued existence. While a state will persistently seek continuous advantage, the international structure tempers its ability to do so in a cost effective manner. State action can therefore be described as a dynamic combination of both offensive and defensive …show more content…
This fundamental understanding will then be used to describe the consistent, competitive nature of state action which takes place in the anarchic international environment. A thorough examination of this constant will then afford the reader better context with which to explore several variables which appear constant. Finally, this realistic perspective will be applied to the current US relations with North Korea, providing both a realist answer to recent actions and a guide to future