Here’s Where Jeffrey Sachs and John Mearsheimer Disagree

Summary

The speaker contrasts their views with John Mearsheimer's realist perspective on international relations, which he sees as inevitably tragic due to anarchic power struggles. Instead, they argue for the possibility and necessity of international cooperation, citing Mearsheimer's accurate predictions on US-Russia and US-China relations. They emphasize the benefits of trade and the urgent need for global collaboration on environmental challenges. The speaker also highlights the unique threat of thermonuclear war, asserting that we cannot afford another tragedy in this age.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker believes in the possibility and importance of international cooperation despite the anarchic nature of the international system.
• 📚 They differ from John Mearsheimer's view that tragedy is inevitable in international relations, advocating for a more optimistic perspective on global cooperation.
• 👍 The speaker credits Mearsheimer for his accurate predictions on US foreign policy towards Russia and China, acknowledging his influence in international relations theory.
• 🔮 Mearsheimer's prediction of US-China relations turning hostile due to China's growth has been proven accurate over the past two decades.
• 🚫 The speaker rejects the notion of tragedy as the inevitable outcome of international relations, arguing for the potential of positive global cooperation.
• 🌱 As an economist, the speaker emphasizes the benefits of trade and the interconnectedness of the world, which is essential for addressing global challenges.
• 🌍 The world is seen as inevitably interconnected on crucial issues like environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and climate change, necessitating global cooperation.
• ⚠️ The speaker highlights the unique threat of thermonuclear weapons, arguing that the stakes of international conflict have never been higher and that we cannot afford another global tragedy.
• 💡 There is a strong emphasis on the need for global cooperation to prevent the literal annihilation of our species in the age of thermonuclear weapons.
• 🏙️ The speaker draws parallels between local cooperation in neighborhoods, cities, and states to argue that similar cooperation can and should be applied on a global scale.

Q & A

What is the speaker's view on the nature of the international system?

The speaker believes that peace and international cooperation are vital and achievable, contrasting with John Mearsheimer's view of an anarchic international system where tragedy is inevitable.

How does the speaker describe John Mearsheimer's perspective?

The speaker describes Mearsheimer's perspective as one that sees international relations as anarchic, leading to inevitable struggles for dominance among great powers, which he terms a 'tragedy of great power politics.'

What are the key predictions made by John Mearsheimer mentioned in the script?

Two key predictions mentioned are: 1) US foreign policy towards Russia, particularly regarding Ukraine, would lead to confrontation, and 2) the relationship between the US and China would turn hostile as China grows.

What is the speaker's stance on the concept of tragedy in international relations?

The speaker rejects the notion of tragedy as the inevitable state of affairs, arguing that cooperation is possible and that there are many examples of cooperation in various levels of society.

What economic principle does the speaker emphasize?

The speaker emphasizes the principle of great gains from trade, rooted in economic thinking since Adam Smith's 'The Wealth of Nations,' advocating for a more interconnected world.

What are the profound challenges the speaker believes necessitate global cooperation?

The speaker identifies challenges such as the survival of oceans, biodiversity, ecosystems, and the physical environment as critical issues that require global cooperation.

How does the speaker view the implications of the thermonuclear age?

The speaker views the thermonuclear age as a time when humanity is at risk of self-destruction, emphasizing the need to avoid further tragedies due to the potential for annihilation.

What historical tragedies does the speaker reference to support their argument?

The speaker references World War I, World War II, and the Thirty Years' War as examples of past tragedies that highlight the importance of avoiding similar outcomes in the current context.

How does the speaker's view differ from Mearsheimer's regarding international cooperation?

The speaker believes that cooperation is not only possible but essential, while Mearsheimer views the anarchic nature of international relations as leading to conflict and tragedy.

What does the speaker suggest about the interconnectedness of the world?

The speaker suggests that the world is inevitably interconnected, especially regarding significant global challenges, and that this interconnectedness necessitates cooperation rather than anarchy.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 International System and Cooperation

The speaker discusses their view on the nature of the international system, contrasting it with John Mearsheimer's view of it as anarchic. They express a preference for not using labels and emphasize the importance of peace and international cooperation as achievable goals. They admire Mearsheimer's work, particularly his predictions about US-Russia relations concerning Ukraine and the future hostility between the US and China. However, they fundamentally disagree with the idea that tragedy is inevitable in international relations, arguing for the possibility and necessity of cooperation. The speaker, an economist, also highlights the benefits of trade and the interconnectedness of the world, especially regarding global challenges such as environmental preservation. They stress the urgency of cooperation in the thermonuclear age to avoid self-destruction, viewing it as a serious threat to humanity.

05:02

🚫 Avoiding Tragedy in the Thermonuclear Age

This paragraph continues the discussion on the potential for tragedy in international relations, particularly in the context of the thermonuclear age. The speaker argues that past tragedies, which Mearsheimer could explain well, should not be repeated due to the unique dangers of the current era. They assert that in the thermonuclear age, the stakes are higher, and the potential for global catastrophe is much greater, making it imperative to avoid another tragedy.

Keywords

💡Anarchic

Anarchic refers to a state of disorder or lack of governance, often used to describe the international system where there is no overarching authority to enforce rules or maintain order. In the video, the speaker contrasts their view with that of John Mearsheimer, who sees the international system as inherently anarchic, leading to inevitable conflict and struggle for dominance among nations.

💡Peace

Peace signifies the absence of conflict and the presence of harmony. The speaker argues for the possibility and necessity of peace in the international system, suggesting that cooperation can prevent the tragic outcomes that Mearsheimer predicts as inevitable in an anarchic world.

💡International Cooperation

International cooperation is the act of countries working together to achieve common goals or address shared challenges. The speaker emphasizes the importance of such cooperation as vital for addressing global issues and achieving peace, in contrast to the view that nations are destined to compete and conflict due to the anarchic nature of the international system.

💡Tragedy

In the context of the video, tragedy refers to the inevitable negative outcomes that Mearsheimer predicts for the international system, such as war and conflict. The speaker disagrees with this view, believing that through cooperation, nations can avoid such tragic outcomes.

💡Great Powers

Great powers are nations with significant economic, political, and military influence. The script mentions the struggle for dominance among great powers as a key element of Mearsheimer's anarchic view of international relations, where such competition can lead to conflict and the 'tragedy' of great power politics.

💡Zero Sum Game

A zero-sum game is a situation where one party's gain is exactly balanced by another's loss, with no net change in the status quo. The speaker uses this term to describe Mearsheimer's view of international relations, where one nation's rise to dominance results in another's loss, leading to a perpetual cycle of struggle and potential tragedy.

💡Predictions

Predictions in this context refer to Mearsheimer's foresight into future geopolitical developments, such as the tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine, and the growing hostility between the US and China. The speaker credits Mearsheimer for these accurate predictions but diverges in believing that cooperation can alter these predicted outcomes.

💡Trade

Trade is the exchange of goods and services between entities. The speaker, as an economist, believes in the significant gains from trade, which supports the idea of global interconnectedness and cooperation. This belief is rooted in economic theory dating back to Adam Smith's 'The Wealth of Nations'.

💡Interconnectedness

Interconnectedness implies the mutual connection and dependency among different parts of a system. The speaker argues that the world is inevitably interconnected, especially when it comes to critical challenges like environmental preservation, biodiversity, and climate change, which require global cooperation.

💡Thermomuclear Age

The thermonuclear age refers to the period since the development of thermonuclear weapons, which have the capacity for widespread destruction. The speaker highlights the unique danger of this era, where the potential for self-destruction is a significant factor in the need for global cooperation and the avoidance of tragic conflict.

💡Self-Destruction

Self-destruction in the video signifies the potential for humanity to cause its own demise, particularly through the use of thermonuclear weapons. The speaker takes this threat seriously and uses it as a reason to advocate for global cooperation and the avoidance of the tragic outcomes predicted by Mearsheimer.

Highlights

The speaker doesn't like labels because they oversimplify complex issues.

Peace and international cooperation are vital and achievable.

Differences with John Mearsheimer's view on the inevitability of tragedy in international relations.

John Mearsheimer's prediction about US-Russia relations and Ukraine was accurate.

Mearsheimer's prediction about the future of US-China relations turned out to be correct.

The speaker believes that cooperation is possible and vital, contrary to Mearsheimer's tragic view.

Cooperation is evident in local communities and can be applied globally.

Economic gains from trade are deeply embedded in economic thinking.

The world is inevitably interconnected on profoundly important challenges.

The need for cooperation on environmental challenges due to human activity.

The speaker rejects the idea of anarchy prevailing in the face of global challenges.

The dawn of the thermonuclear age has changed the stakes of international relations.

The potential for literal annihilation of our species is a serious concern.

The speaker believes we cannot afford another tragedy in the thermonuclear age.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of avoiding tragedy due to the unique risks of our time.

Transcripts

what is your view of the nature of the

International System for example someone

like John mimer views it as anarchic

what is your conception well as you can

probably guess I don't love labels

because I think that they oversimplify

so I like to describe things either in

paragraphs or articles or books but

basically I believe that peace and

international cooperation are vital and

achievable and the differ

between me and John mimer who I admire

enormously and like very much as an

individual and like as a personal friend

is that he believes that in the anarchic

relations of governments tragedy is

inevitable his great text is called the

tragedy of great power politics and his

view is that because there is so much in

Security in an anarchic World great

powers are bound not only to jostle with

each other but to struggle for dominance

and if two are struggling for dominance

one wins and one loses the setup is a

zero sum or I would say a negative sum

game in fact the title tragedy suggests

a negative some game where the struggle

goes on and in some sense there a

disaster ensues

so he believes that I believe that

cooperation is possible and vital John

gets a lot of credit in my view for

accurate predictions uh and I can

mention several but two that I would

mention are his predictions that US

foreign policy Visa Russia and

specifically in Ukraine would lead us to

frontation he gets a lot of credit for

that because he was very clear on that

point in 2014 and has been clear on that

ever since and he also made a prediction

which is in a way even more powerful

that back in 20012 2002 when his great

book was published he said the relations

between the US and China are benign but

as China continues to grow they will

develop into

hostility and if you would asked me back

then 20 years ago I would have said ah

come on John there's no reason for that

hostility and 20 years later his

prediction was accurate so I give him a

lot of predictive credit but where we

really differ is that I can't accept

personally tragedy as being the State of

Affairs and the inevitable outcome I

think we can do better than that and

certainly there is a lot of cooperation

in the world in our own immediate lives

in our neighborhoods and our cities and

our states and our nation and I believe

that that can apply globally as well

another point though as an economist uh

where I take exception to this is on two

essential points one is that I believe

that there are great gains from trade so

that's pretty deeply embedded in

economic thinking it goes back in its

clearest initial statement to Adam Smith

in 1776 in The Wealth of Nations but

it's proved in innumerable theories and

empirical studies ever since so I want

the world to be interconnected because I

think it is good but a second point is I

believe the world is inevitably

interconnected

on profoundly important challenges such

as the survival of our oceans our

biodiversity our ecosystems our physical

environment which is being deeply

deranged by the scale of human activity

now over a hundred trillion dollars per

year scale of activity and we need to

cooperate we're not in a position toow

allow Anarchy to prevail there's one

even more important point and that is

that ever since the dawn of the

thermonuclear age and one could argue

ever since the dawn of the atomic age in

1945 but certainly since the dawn of

thermonuclear weapons we are trapped on

the edge of

self-destruction literal annihilation of

our species I take that very seriously

so so while we've had tragedies in the

past World War I World War II the 30

Years War innumerable tragedies that

John mimer could explain very very well

I believe we can't afford yet another

tragedy of this kind because in the

thermonuclear age everything is

different