Summary

Anarchy is what states make of it -Alexander Wendt

- Summary- Wendt focuses on identities and interests as they form the behaviour that
occurs in the system of anarchy. He strongly argues they are variables, subject to
influences and are not fixed; they are in fact constructed everyday by processes of
social will formation ( for example a state has no identity until it interacts with
another). Therefore it is what states have made of themselves; and anarchy is what
states make of it.

Main points-
-Wendt discusses Kenneth Waltz definition of political structure which is in three
dimensions 1.ordering principles, 2.principles of differentiation, 3.distribution of
capabilities. He criticises it however as the definitions cannot predict state behaviour
therefore cannot predict the content or dynamics of anarachy as it cannot provide
assumption about structure of identities and interests in system.

- Also introduces his concept of structures of identity and interest claiming that no
particular one follows logically from anarchy.

- Finally discusses realist notion of self-help which he claims they reify (make it seem
natural as opposed to a human ideology) and that from this a self-fulfilling prophecy
is made. Wendt claims self help