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.
Featured Work
November 17, 2023
Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, China, NATO, and WW3
Lex Friedman Podcast
Mearsheimer talks about Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, China, NATO, and WW3 on the Lex Fridman Podcast.
Recent Work

September 5, 2023. Yale University Press
How States Think: The Rationality of Foreign Policy
John J. Mearsheimer and Sebastian Rosato
Mearsheimer talks about Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, China, NATO, and WW3 on the Lex Fridman Podcast.

September 2, 2023. John's Substack.
Bound to Lose: Ukraine’s 2023 Counteroffensive
John J. Mearsheimer
Mearsheimer talks about Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, China, NATO, and WW3 on the Lex Fridman Podcast.
July 30, 2023
Ukraine war is a long-term danger
The Grayzone
Mearsheimer talks about Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, China, NATO, and WW3 on the Lex Fridman Podcast.