Episode #174
Why Do Nations Go to War? Jim Fearon on Ukraine, Iran, and His Pentagon Years
James Fearon, one of the preeminent thinkers in international relations, joins Colin Kahl to talk about why conflicts around the world are roaring back, and how more might be prevented. Fearon shares his perspectives from academia and government on why and how the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran are unfolding, and how an active conflict could be avoided with China in the Indo-Pacific. James Fearon is the Theodore and Frances Geballe Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and a professor of political science. He is a senior fellow at FSI, affiliated with CISAC and CDDRL. His research interests include civil and interstate war, ethnic conflict, the international spread of democracy and the evaluation of foreign aid projects promoting improved governance. Fearon was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2012 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002. Some of his current research projects include work on the costs of collective and interpersonal violence, democratization and conflict in Myanmar, nuclear weapons and U.S. foreign policy, and the long-run persistence of armed conflict. This episode's reading recommendation is, “ The Personalist Global Order: When Individual Whims Drive Great Power Policy ” by Seva Gunitsky and Semuhi Sinanoglu, published in the January 2026 issue of Foreign Affairs. If you like what you hear, you can get additional content from scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies by following us on X , Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram , and YouTube , and by subscribing to our newsletters and updates .
