John J. Mearsheimer

I am the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Chicago, where I have taught since 1982.

Above all else, I am an international relations theorist. More specifically, I am a realist, which means that I believe that the great powers dominate the international system and they constantly engage in security competition with each other, which sometimes leads to war.

Although I have dedicated my life to scholarship, I have also tried to engage in the policy debates of the day. For example, I was one of the most outspoken opponents of the 2003 Iraq War before it happened. I firmly believe that social science theories are invaluable for making and analyzing foreign policy.

What do Al Capone, Michael Jordan, Milton Friedman, and John Mearsheimer all have in common?
They were all born in Brooklyn and made their reputation in Chicago.

Recent Work

September 5, 2023. Yale University Press

How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy

John J. Mearsheimer and Sebastian Rosato

September 2, 2023. John's Substack.

Bound to Lose: Ukraine’s 2023 Counteroffensive

John J. Mearsheimer

July 30, 2023

Ukraine war is a long-term danger

The Grayzone

June 24, 2023. John’s Substack.

The Darkness Ahead: Where The Ukraine War Is Headed

John J. Mearsheimer