Key take aways
Everything in this lecture and discussion
(a. root cause political assessment and analysis
b. as long as you are interested in the deeper causes of the conflict and the laws that govern politics and war)
The Swarthmore Conservative Studies hosts a lecture and discussion with Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, as part of their annual Agora Speakers Series at Swarthmore College.
In his lecture, entitled “Liberal Hegemony & the Present Crisis in U.S. Foreign Policy”, Professor Mearsheimer discusses what he sees as the failure of liberal foreign policy after the end of the Cold War and the growing relevance of geopolitical realism in the age of multipolarity.
In the subsequent discussion/Q&A session, Professor Mearsheimer takes questions from attendees on various issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (including the ongoing war in Gaza), the role of ideology in international affairs, and recent developments in U.S. politics.
This event was co-sponsored by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and the Swarthmore International Relations Club.
Video chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
5:38 – Lecture
46:53 – Discussion/Q&A session
47:18 – Was there really a feasible alternative to engagement in U.S. policy towards China?
53:01 – What exactly were Putin’s motives in the invasion of Ukraine?
1:01:58 – Is unipolarity sustainable, and is it morally justifiable?
1:07:49 – Potential realist turn in U.S. foreign policy, and Trump’s ability to contain China
1:11:45 – U.S.-Israeli relations and freedom of speech
1:20:39 – The role of ideology in U.S. foreign policy
1:25:14 – Liberalism, individualism, and universalism
1:33:52 – Does the U.S. have an obligation to defend the sovereignty of other nations?
1:37:21 – What is the true meaning of democracy?
