Ways of War and Peace: Realism, Liberalism, and Socialism

I recommend this book to any student of International Relations or Political Philosophy. Doyle does an excellent job of describing the foundations of the main theories in the discipline of International Relations. By starting with the philosophers behind each school of thought, he reveals the often misunderstood assumptions made by scholars in each school. Thus, he shows us why scholars in International Relations frequently talk past each other when discussing a topic.

Before reading Doyle, I had never really come across a good survey of political philosophy which logically relates the classical political theories to their practical corollaries in international relations. I must say I am very much impresssed with Doyle's effort and am delighted to find how well he is able to put all theories (he deals with realism, liberalism and socialism) in an illuminating perspective, and how he is able to ingeniously distinguish the different strands within the respective political theories. What I like in particular is how he associates certain strands of thinking with certain philosophers, and how he then combines and compares these different views within a larger theoretical perpective, thus providing a clear overview on the theories at large. I must admit only having read parts of it, most of the section about realism, all of it on liberalism and some of it on socialism, but still think I have a good enough idea to be able to comment on this book. I initiallty felt inclined to give this book only four stars, since it only deals with a small number of thinkers and theories, but realising the vastness of the subject, I felt I could not withhold Doyle's book the 5th star. So for those seeking the broader view of international relations, going beyond the confines of conventional IR theory, Doyle's book is an absolute eye-opener.

This extraordinary book by Dr. Doyle is a must read for those Christians that wish to understand the international system of the relations among nations. This book helps to clarify the fundamental perpspectives that policymakers hold about the nature of the relations among nations and the policies that follow as a result of such perspectives. For Christians to be effective peacemakers such information is critical for understanding the international system and planning for effective pastoral strategies that can help to move the world toward greater justice and peace. Clearly this book is not a substitute for Christian moral reflection and action, but it can help one to understand some of the forces and ideological frameworks within the international arena that motivates people and nations to take actions that lead to war or peace.