The Politics of Memory in Post-War Europe

The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.Richard Ned Lebow is the James O. Freedman Presidential Professor of Government at Dartmouth College and fellow of the Centre of International Studies at the University of Cambridge. He will lecture on "The Politics of Memory in Post-War Europe."Ohio State University. Mershon Center for International Security StudiesEvent webpage, photo

Most wars are not fought for reasons of security or material interests, but instead reflect a nation’s ‘spirit’

Why do nations decide to go to war? Based on the extensive study of inter-state wars since 1648, Richard Ned Lebow outlines his analysis of the motivations which underpin warfare. He finds that contrary to the expectations of most international relations theories, wars fought primarily for reasons of security, or material interests, have been relatively rare. Rather, motivations related to a nation’s ‘spirit’, such as the standing of a country or revenge, have been the principal causes of most wars

Counterfactuals, history and fiction

'Kontrafaktische Überlegungen helfen uns, die Zufälligkeit vieler Ergebnisse in der Politik zu erkennen, die Ursachen und Kontingenz dieser Resultate zu testen und sie durch einen Kontrast mit anderen möglichen Ergebnissen und Konsequenzen auf die Probe zu stellen. Noch wichtiger aber ist, dass kontrafaktisches Denken uns bewusst machen kann, in welchem Grad unser Welt- und Geschichtsbild selbst ein Ergebnis von Rückschlüssen sind, die aufgrund kontingenter Annahmen gezogen wurden. Diese Erkenntnis kann uns helfen, einen Moment unsere eigene Welt zu verlassen und sie aus einer anderen Perspektive zu betrachten.' (Autorenreferat)'Counterfactuals help us recognize the contingent nature of many political outcomes, probe the causes and contingency of these outcomes and evaluate them by imagining other outcomes and their consequences. Most importantly, counterfactuals have the potential to make us aware of the extent to which our deepest held assumptions about how the world works are themselves the result of inferences drawn from contingent outcomes. This recognition can help us step outside of our world and view it from perspectives.' (author's abstract

In Search of Ourselves: The Politics and Ethics of Identity

Streaming video requires Flash Player, RealPlayer, or Windows Media Player to view.Lebow's research interests include international relations theory, conflict management, psychological models of learning, philosophy of social science, conflict prevention, regional conflict, bargaining and negotiation, and methodologies including case studies, psychological experiments, and scenario generation.Ohio State University. Mershon Center for International Security StudiesEvent Web page, streaming video, event photo