The Atlantic Realists

• Department of History

In this talk organised by the EUI Intellectual History Working Group, Professor Matthew Specter will present his latest book, "The Atlantic Realists: Empire and International Political Thought between Germany and the United States" (Stanford UP, 2022).

In his book, Professor Specter reassesses the intellectual origins of political realism: a leading international relations theory typically associated with US foreign policy during the Cold War. However, Specter argues that the main tenets of this school of thought had emerged earlier, during a transatlantic debate between American and German intellectuals inspired by the imperial ambitions of the two countries in the late 19th century.

The quest for dominance of two rising powers shaped the intellectual context in which realism emerged – with fateful consequences for the development of the doctrine. Rediscovering the link between realism and Empire raises far-reaching questions about key concepts of IR theory, thus challenging our contemporary political imagination.

The presentation will be followed by remarks offered by Professors Glenda Sluga and Nicolas Guilhot, and a Q&A session with the public. A reception will follow.

The event will be also live-streamed on zoom. Please register to the event and write an email to [email protected] to receive the zoom link.