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Charting structural political change from the origins of western civilisation in the pre-Christian Greek world to c1800, this ambitious reassessment of world political development draws on a wealth of historical material and seeks to change the way we think about the nature of the state.

Charting structural political change from the origins of western civilisation in the pre-Christian Greek world to c1800, this ambitious reassessment of world political development draws on a wealth of historical material and seeks to change the way we think about the nature of the state

Provides a novel analysis of the evolution of the states system of Europe since the mid-17th century and shows how a prevailing consensus on certain structural concepts has influenced the evolution of the system and determined its stability or lack of stability

In my critique of Richard Lebow's new A Cultural Theory of International Relations I highlight a lack of sensitivity to the problem of structural change. Contrary to Lebow's claim to be more attuned to change than existing IR theory, I contend that his exclusive focus on the recurrence of certain behavioural patterns in the course of history is insufficient as a foundation for a new grand theory. Interesting as it may be, this focus is restrictive even with regard to the concept of culture on which it is based. Thus, religion and ideology, which surely must be classified as cultural phenomena, are virtually ignored. Last but not least, I fault the book for its cavalier, indeed often cartoonish, treatment of the historical record. The book falls far short of the `sympathetic reliving' of the past that it promises; the argument is, moreover, seriously impaired by the myriad factual mistakes that the book contains.