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Présentation
The course introduces students to theorizing about world politics in the academic (sub-)discipline of International Relations (IR). While both practices of ‘international relations’ and the conscious reflection about them reach back in time much further, IR as a separate academic field of knowledge has been formally institutionalized only in the interwar period, spreading and gaining further traction after 1945. Ever since, the discipline has struggled over its historical origins, its subject matter, its methodologies, and, of course, the supposed drivers and dynamics of international politics. The course presents major theories of IR by revisiting the shifting fault lines of the discipline, tracing major schools and disputes from once hegemonic realism through versions of liberalism, the English School, and constructivism to critical theory, feminism, and postcolonialism. In so doing, it explores a variety of topics in international politics, including great power competition and war, international cooperation and organization, democratic peace and norm diffusion, the marginalization and misrepresentation of ‘others’, and the rise of ‘the rest’ and apparent shift towards global international relations. Throughout, the course highlights how theoretical controversies over the nature of international politics do not simply reflect actual practices of international politics, but also constrain and enable particular politics in practice, that is, by shaping what appears at all necessary, desirable, and possible.
Modalités
Readings
The lecture course is based on mandatory readings listed below, which you find on the course page on ‘iCampus’. Reading them carefully is important for succeeding in the tutorial exercises as well as in the final exam. If in doubt about a particular theoretical perspective, you are encouraged to consult one of these manuals (the relevant chapters are indicated under the respective sessions):
Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki, and Steve Smith (eds.). 2020. International Relations theories: Discipline and diversity, 5th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press (abbreviated below as DKS), or other edition.
Cynthia Weber. 2020. International Relations theory: A critical introduction. London: Routledge.
Note: Be advised that reading chapters of the manuals is optional, not compulsory, nor are the textbook chapters a replacement for the main texts assigned for each session. In particular, the final exam is exclusively based on the compulsory readings and the lecture itself, and not the textbooks.
1. What are International Relations (IR)? An Introduction
No readings.
2. Crisis and Critique: IR in the Interwar Period
Compulsory reading:
Angell, Norman. 1911. The great illusion. A study of the relation of military power in nations to their economic and social advantage, 3rd edition, New York: Putnam’s Sons, chapter 3 (‘The great illusion’), 29-48.
Carr, E.H. 1946. The Twenty Years’ Crisis, 1919-1939: An introduction to the study of international relations, London: MacMillan & Co, second edition, chapter 5 (‘The realist critique’), 63-88.
3. Lineages of Power Politics: ‘Classical’ Realism
Compulsory readings:
Morgenthau, Hans J. 1965 [1948/1953]. Politics among nations. The struggle for power and peace, 3rd edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, chapter 1 (‘A realist theory of international politics’), 3-15, and chapter 2 (‘The science of international politics’), 16-23.
Optional: For an overview, see Richard N. Lebow, chapter 3 (‘Classical realism’) in DKS.
4. Anarchy and the Search for Security: Structural Realism
Compulsory reading:
Waltz, Kenneth N. 1979. Theory of international politics, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, chapter 6 (‘Anarchic orders and balances of power’), 102-128.
Optional: For an overview, see John J. Mearsheimer, chapter 4 (‘Structural realism’) in DKS.
5. Interests and Cooperation: Liberal Institutionalism
Compulsory readings:
Keohane, Robert O. and Joseph S. Nye. 1989 [1977]. Power and interdependence, New York: Harper Collins, second edition, chapter 2 (‘Realism and complex interdependence’), 23-37.
Optional: For an overview, see Jennifer Sterling-Folker, chapter 6 (‘Neoliberalism’) in DKS.
6. Shared Norms and Values: The International Society of the English School
Compulsory reading:
Bull, Hedley. 1977. The anarchical society. A study of order in world politics, 4th edition, London: Palgrave Macmillan, chapter 1 (‘The concept of order in world politics’), 3-21.
Optional: For an overview, see Tim Dunne, chapter 7 (‘The English School’) in DKS.
7. Globalized Exploitation: Marxist Perspectives on the International Order
Compulsory reading:
Wallers