1. International Relations Defined
Study of the interactions among various actors that participate in international politics
Who are international actors?

2. Studying International Relations
How does international relations affect you every day?
What questions does the study of international relations seek to answer?
What tools and methods do we use to study international relations?
What theoretical approaches do we use to study international relations?

3. Foundational Questions of International Relations
How can human nature be characterized?
What is the relationship between the individual and society?
What is the relationship between societies?
What are the characteristics and role of the state?

4. Foundational Questions of International Relations
How is the international system organized?
How might international society be structured to obtain and maintain peace?
How do individuals, states, and various international organizations impact international relations?

5. Answering the Foundational Questions
Using history to observe patterns of past behavior
Using theory to explain patterns of behavior and their causes
What is a theory?
Deduction (theory to evidence): syllogisms
Induction (evidence to theory)

6. History and the Study of International Relations
Knowing history is fundamental for explaining patterns and background…
BUT history may be a poor guide for predicting contemporary policy choices.
History “lessons” are not clear-cut or simple.
Example: compare Vietnam and Iraq War “lessons”
Careful with analogies!!!
Reconstruction of Germany after WWII and Iraq

7. Contributions of the Philosophers
Socrates: citizenship and obedience
Plato: society should submit to philosopher kings
Aristotle: use comparative method to discern the ideal political order
Hobbes: society can escape from brutish “state of nature” in unitary state with centralized power
Kant: democracy + institutions + respect for individual = perpetual peace

8. Functions of International Relations Theory
To describe what is happening
To explain why events are occurring, who key actors are, and which choices have been made
To explain what choices should be made
To predict what will happen in the future
Theories are limited in scope and focus: there is no one theory that is designed to explain it all
Theories are to be used as tools

9. Contending Theories: the Basics
Liberalist approach:
positive view of human nature
attempts to explain cooperation
not to be confused with liberalism in domestic application

10. Contending Theories: the Basics
Realist approach:
negative view of human nature
attempts to explain conflict
not to be confused with “being realistic”

11. Contending Theories: the Basics
Radical theory
─ State is agent of international capitalism
─ International system is stratified between haves and
have-nots
─ Haves dominate international relations
Terminology!!!
Normative or Critical or Post-positivist

12. Contending Theories: the Basics
Constructivism
Deconstructs the background
Examines the ideas and their creation
Everything is subjective

13. Contending Theories the Basics
Marxism
Normative theory
Looks at economic inequalities in the world
Basis for Dependency Theory and Systems Theory