Professor John J. Mearsheimer Visits SIS

On October 15, 2019, renowned scholar Professor John J. Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago and honorary professor at Renmin University, visited SIS to deliver a lecture titled “The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities.” The lecture was chaired by Professor Di Dongsheng, the deputy director of SIS.

During the lecture, Professor Mearsheimer eloquently presented his academic viewpoint, as expressed in his recently published book The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities. He delved into the question of why the foreign policy pursued by the United States, known as Liberal Hegemony, was destined to fail after the Cold War. He argued that a more prudent foreign policy based on a realistic understanding of the influence of nationalism and realism on great powers would have been a more sensible approach for Washington to adopt.

The lecture sparked immense interest among the faculty members and students present, leading to an engaging and lively Q&A session.