Theory of International Politics is a 1979
international relations (IR) theory by
Kenneth Waltz that offers a new theory, the
neorealist theory of
international relations. Taking into account the influence of
neoclassical economic theory, Waltz argued that the fundamental "ordering principle" (p. 88) of the international political system is
anarchy, which is defined by the presence of "functionally undifferentiated" (p. 97) individual state actors lacking "relations of super- and subordination" (p. 88) that are distinguished only by their varying capabilities.
Theory of International Politics is arguably the most influential book in international relations, causing a fundamental discursive transformation and bringing the concept of anarchy to the forefront.