Book review
“How States think: The rationality of foreign policy”
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22456/2178-8839.148634Keywords:
Rationality; IR Theory; RealismAbstract
How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy, by John J. Mearsheimer and Sebastian Rosato, presents a systematic defense of the rational state hypothesis in International Relations. Based on the premise that states act through credible theories and deliberative processes, the authors respond to criticisms from political psychology and neoclassical realism. This review outlines the book’s main arguments, evaluates its contribution to realist theory, and discusses its theoretical and epistemological limitations—especially the absence of a state theory, the rejection of domestic-level variables, and the marginalization of alternative notions of rationality. It concludes that, despite its clarity and coherence, the book ultimately reaffirms classical realist assumptions without significantly advancing the contemporary understanding of foreign policy.
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References
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Copyright (c) 2025 Daniel Rei Coronato
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Accepted 2025-08-04
Published 2025-10-23
