ThisbookcollectsworksbythelateProfessorMartinWight(1913-1972),anhistorianandscholarofinternationalrelations.Heconductedresearchonmanytopics,includingBritishcolonialhistory,Europeanstudies,internationalinstitutions,andthehistoryandsociologyofstates-systems.HeisnonethelessbestknownforhisteachingaboutthepoliticalphilosophyofinternationalrelationsattheLondonSchoolofEconomics(1949-1961)andtheUniversityofSussex(1961-1972).Heiswidelyregardedasanintellectualancestorandpath-breakerofthe’EnglishSchool’ofinternationalrelations,eventhoughthistermonlygainedcurrencynineyearsafterhisdeath.Whilethereisnogenerallyaccepteddefinitionofthe’EnglishSchool’,itisusuallyconstruedassignifyinganapproachtothestudyofinternationalrelationsmorerootedinhistoricalandhumanisticlearningthaninthesocialsciences.Wight’sachievementsareconsistentwiththisbroaddefinition.Thisvolumeincludesworksinfourcategories:(a)traditionsofthinkingaboutinternationalrelationssincethesixteenthcentury;(b)thecausesandfunctionsofwar;(c)internationalandregimelegitimacy;and(d)fortuneandironyininternationalpolitics.Inadditiontoclassicessayssuchas’WhyIsThereNoInternationalTheory?’and’WesternValuesinInternationalRelations’thatcomplementhisposthumous1991bookInternationalTheory:TheThreeTraditions,thisvolumeincludespreviouslyunpublishedworksoninternationallegitimacyandthecausesofwar.Wight’sanalysisoflegitimacyexaminestheevolutionofthinkingfromdynastictopopularapproaches,whilehisworkonthecausesofwarbuildsonThucydidesandHobbes.
