On War: Thucydides and Current Strategic Dilemmas

Course Description

Thucydides is thought to be the first and greatest teacher of power, of the facts that might makes right, and that wars begin as a consequence of fear. Thinkers from Thomas Hobbes to proponents of modern “realist” schools of international relations invoke his name. But what are his teachings, exactly? And what can he tell us about modern warfare? In this workshop, candidates will study Thucydides' great history of the Peloponnesian War with a series of foundational questions in mind: What is the nature of power, and of war? How do wars start? What role do domestic politics and “ideology” play in foreign policy? In our discussions and final simulation, we will explore whether his actual teachings are applicable to current grand strategic dilemmas—and if so, how.