Basic Program instructor Richard Hoskins appeared on NPR/WBUR’s On Point to discuss the enduring relevance of Thucydides and the concept of the “Thucydides Trap” in contemporary geopolitics. The conversation highlights how the study of classic texts can provide valuable perspectives on modern international affairs and public discourse.
Basic Program instructor Richard Hoskins recently appeared on NPR/WBUR’s On Point to discuss the enduring relevance of Thucydides and what the ancient historian’s work can teach us about contemporary relations between the United States and China.
The June 3 episode, “China’s take on the Trump summit,” examined U.S.-China relations following a recent meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. During the conversation, Richard provided historical context for the “Thucydides Trap,” a term popularized by political scientist Graham Allison to describe the tensions that can arise when a rising power challenges an established one.
Drawing on Thucydides’ account of the Peloponnesian War, Richard explained how ancient history continues to inform modern geopolitical analysis:
“Currently, the United States is the great status quo power in the world. China is a rising power. And the Thucydides Trap is the suggestion that in many cases through history, though not all, the result of a rising nation, very ambitious and wanting to find its place in the global scope of things, and the status quo power will end up going to war. The trap referred to is the tendency of the two powers not to be able to see beyond the fear that the two of them will inevitably have to go to war because they can’t both coexist.”
Richard also emphasized that Thucydides’ work is best understood not as a prediction of inevitable conflict, but as a cautionary tale for leaders navigating fear, ambition, and power.
“We are thrilled that the On Point audience was able to benefit from Richard’s expertise,” said Zoë Eisenman, Director of Academics and Basic Program Instructor. “He brings his experience and wide-ranging interests to all his courses in the Basic Program and we are privileged to have him as an instructor and a colleague.”
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As public conversations increasingly grapple with questions of international conflict, leadership, and political change, works such as Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War remind us that some of today’s most pressing questions are illuminated by ideas that have endured for centuries.
Listen to the full episode of On Point to hear the conversation and explore the continuing relevance of Thucydides in today’s world.
