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A review essay on a book by the Minister Foreign Affairs, Commission for the Publication of Diplomatic Documents, I Documenti Diplomatici Italiani, Ottavo Serie 1935-1939 ([Italian Diplomatic Documents, Series VIII 1935-1939. Vols. IX and X] Rome: Instit Poligrafico & Zecca Stato, 2003).

Two claims about the nature & scope of theories in International Relations can be found in Kenneth Waltzs work. The first claim is that it is possible to develop a theory of international politics, ie., a theory that is capable to predict the outcomes of interactions among states without necessarily predicting their foreign policy behavior. The second claim is that it is possible to develop a structural theory of politics, ie., a theory that rigorously separates structural & unit-level causes & only considers the former. This note argues the following: G) the two claims are distinct; (ii) Waltz does not separate them consistently; (iii) he defends the first claim by using arguments that support the second claim; (iv) the first claim is not plausible; (iv) the second claim is plausible, but it needs to be qualified. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.