vadimivich
Well-known member
Kenneth Waltz - probably the single most important thinker in terms of international relations of the post war era - passed away this Monday. He was a truly remarkable writer and thinker and hugely influenced multiple generations of policy makers both through his writing (which is a defacto standard for nearly every class on the subject now) and more directly as a teacher at some of the most prestigious universities in the country.
On a personal level he was an unbelievably kind and patient man. My wife studied closely under him, and I had the great benefit of meeting him several times in informal settings and was always struck by just how nice he was. He and his wife were nearly inseparable, and she died a little while ago - my wife's comment on learning of his death was "There was a lot on earth for him to still do, but I'm sure he's thrilled to be back with his wife again".
I put this on the politics board because it's more likely that people here would know of him, and because if you haven't read "Man, the State and War" ... you should go do it. You probably won't agree with everything he wrote, and maybe with none of it. That's totally ok, and it never bothered him either (some of his closest academic relationships were with people who had totally opposite views) - but it'll make you think, and that's the best thing you can say about anyone's work.
On a personal level he was an unbelievably kind and patient man. My wife studied closely under him, and I had the great benefit of meeting him several times in informal settings and was always struck by just how nice he was. He and his wife were nearly inseparable, and she died a little while ago - my wife's comment on learning of his death was "There was a lot on earth for him to still do, but I'm sure he's thrilled to be back with his wife again".
I put this on the politics board because it's more likely that people here would know of him, and because if you haven't read "Man, the State and War" ... you should go do it. You probably won't agree with everything he wrote, and maybe with none of it. That's totally ok, and it never bothered him either (some of his closest academic relationships were with people who had totally opposite views) - but it'll make you think, and that's the best thing you can say about anyone's work.
