>[!abstract] >The Angell paradox, named after Norman Angell’s 1910 book _The Great Illusion_, highlights the contradiction between the economic logic of interdependence and the persistence of war. Angell argued that in an increasingly globalized and financially interconnected world, war among major powers was irrational because conquest would bring economic loss rather than gain. Yet history shows that such conflicts still occur, driven by nationalism, ideology, or misperception. The paradox underscores the gap between rational self-interest at the systemic level and the political, psychological, or structural forces that propel states toward destructive behavior despite economic interdependence. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Liberal internationalism]] >- **West** (similar): [[Democratic peace theory]] >- **East** (different): [[Realpolitik]] >- **South** (downstream): —