Neorealism has arguably been the single most influential contribution to the study of international relations (IR) since the 1980s. One of the paradigm's main purposes is to transcend time and space in order to recognise ahistoric and global patterns in the recurrence of interstate conflict. Yet, the key concepts of neorealist theory have been developed by Western scholars, largely based on analyses of interactions among Western states. How representative can such a grand Western vision be?