In a March 15 lecture challenging the common view of realism as a set of universally binding truths about international affairs (based on his 2022 book The Atlantic Realists: Empire and International Political Thought Between Germany and the United States), Dr. Matthew G. Specter argues that realism's major features emerged from a century-long dialogue between American and German intellectuals beginning in the late nineteenth century. Specter uncovers an "Atlantic realist" tradition of reflection on the prerogatives of empire and the nature of power politics conditioned by fin de siècle imperial competition, two world wars, the Holocaust, and the Cold War. Focusing on key figures in the evolution of realist thought, his book traces the development of the realist worldview over a century, dismantling myths about the national interest, Realpolitik, and the "art" of statesmanship.

In addition to being able to attend in-person, the option to attend via Zoom (with required free registration) is available here.