▁of ▁the ▁international ▁system ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁ag gress ive ▁state ▁behavior ▁in ▁international ▁politics . ▁It ▁fund ament ally ▁diff ers ▁from ▁def ensive ▁real ism ▁by ▁dep ict ing ▁great ▁powers ▁as ▁power - maxim izing ▁revision ists ▁privile ging ▁bu ck - pass ing ▁and ▁self - prom otion ▁over ▁bal ancing ▁strateg ies ▁in ▁their ▁consistent ▁aim ▁to ▁domin ate ▁the ▁international ▁system . ▁The ▁theory ▁brings ▁important ▁alternative ▁contributions ▁for ▁the ▁study ▁and ▁understanding ▁of ▁international ▁relations ▁but ▁remains ▁non eth eless ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁criticism . ▁ ▁The oret ical ▁orig ins ▁Off ensive ▁real ism ▁is ▁a ▁prominent ▁theory ▁of ▁international ▁relations ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁real ist ▁school ▁of ▁thought , ▁which ▁includes ▁various ▁sub - tr ends ▁character ised ▁by ▁the ▁different ▁pers pect ives ▁of ▁representative ▁sch ol ars ▁such ▁as ▁Robert ▁Gil pin , ▁Rand all ▁Schw eller , ▁Eric ▁J . ▁L abs ▁and ▁F are ed ▁Zak aria . ▁Yet , ▁to ▁date , ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁variant ▁of ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁John ▁J . ▁M ear she imer ▁as ▁fully ▁developed ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁T rag edy ▁of ▁Great ▁Power ▁Polit ics . ▁While ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁theory ▁does ▁re iter ate ▁and ▁build ▁on ▁certain ▁assumptions ▁elabor ated ▁by ▁classical ▁real ists , ▁it ▁dep arts ▁completely ▁from ▁this ▁branch ▁by ▁using ▁posit iv ism ▁as ▁a ▁philosophy ▁of ▁science