Learning outcomes:  

After completing the course, students should be able to identify the structure of the International Relations Theory field, explain the circumstances of the emergence of individual schools, traditions and approaches, distinguish the ontological and epistemological positions of theories, recognize the topics and problems addressed by these theories and evaluate the relevance of these for the progress of international thinking in particular areas/topics.  

Course assessment:  

This course is examined by means of two tests in Moodle consisting of questions covering both the lectures and readings.

Readings are available in electronic versions in Moodle.

Course structure:

The discipline of international relations

Wight, Martin (1995) Why is there no IR theory? In: Der Derian, James (ed.): International Theory. Critical Investigations. New York University Press, New York, 17-34.

Hoffmann, Stanley (1995) An American Social Science: International Relations. In: Der Derian, James (ed.), International Theory: Critical Investigations. New York University Press, New York, 212-241.

Waever, Ole (1998) The Sociology of a Not So International Discipline: American and European Developments in International Relations. International Organization 52:4.

Philosophies of IR

Introductory Reading:

Hollis Martin, and Steve Smith. 1990 Explaining and Understanding International Relations. Oxford: Clarendon Press (pp. 1-15).

Further Reading:

Jackson, Patrick T. 2010. The Conduct of Inquiry in International Relations. London: Routledge (pp. 24-71).

Kratochwil, Friedrich (2007) Of False Promises and Good Bets: A Plea for a Pragmatic Approach to Theory Building. Journal of International Relations and Development 10(1).

Practical Applications:

Chernoff, Fred. 2007. Theory and Metatheory in International Relations. London: Palgrave Macmillan (pp. 35-77).

Liberalism

Angell, Norman (1910) The Great Illusion. London: Heinemann, 25-43, 215-245.

Mitrany, David (1943) A Working Peace System. London: RIIA, 5-41.

Panke, Diana and Thomas Risse (2007) Liberalism. In: Dunne, Tim a Milja Kurki a Seve Smith (eds.), International Relations Theories. Discipline and Diversity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 89-108.

Realism

Introductory Reading:

Drezner, Daniel. 2014. Theories of International Politics and Zombies. Princeton: Princeton University Press (pp. 37-50).

Dunne, Tim and Brian C. Schmidt. 2014. Realism. John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens, eds. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Sixth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press (101-112).

Further Reading:

Morgenthau, Hans. 2006 [1948]. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. New York: McGraw-Hill (pp. 3-16).

Nexon, Daniel. The Balance of Power in the Balance. World Politics 61(2).

Tang, Shiping. 2009. The Security Dilemma: A Conceptual Analysis. Security Studies 18(3).

Practical Applications:

Allison, Graham. 2015. The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War? The Atlantic (24 Sept. 2015).

Behavioralist Approaches in IR Theory

Hollis Martin and Smith Steve, Explaining and understanding international relations. Oxford : Claredon P. (in Czech, Brno 2000) Ch. 6 and 8, pp. 119-142, 171-195.

Brams Steven J. (2003) Negotiation Games. Applying Game Theory to Bargaining and Arbitration. London: Routledge. Ch. 1 and 4; pp. 1-26, 101-136.

Walt Stephen M.(1999) Rigor or rigor mortis. International Security, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Fall 1999), pp. 5-48.

Bueno de Mesquita Bruce and James D. Morrow (1999) Sorting through the wealth of notions. International Security, Vol. 24, No. 2 (Fall 1999), pp. 56-73.

Neorealism

Introductory Reading:

Donnelly, Jack. 2000. Realism and International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (81-130).

Further Reading:

Waltz, Kenneth. 1979. Theory of International Politics. Reading: Addison-Wesley (pp. 79-101).

Mearsheimer, John. 2001. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: W.W. Norton (pp. 29-54).

Weber, Cynthia. 2010. International Relations Theory: A Critical Introduction. Third Edition. London: Routledge (pp. 13-36).

Practical Applications:

Rosato, Sebaastian. 2011. Europe’s Troubles: Power Politics and the State of the European Project. International Security 35(4).

Neoliberalism

Keohane, Robert (1984) After Hegemony. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 49-84.

Baldwin, David (1993) Neoliberalism, Neorealism, and World Politics. In: Baldwin, David (ed.), Neorealism and Neoliberalism. New York: Columbia University Press, 3-28.

Moravcsik, Andrew (1997) Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics. International Organization 51, 4, Autumn 1997, pp. 513–53

Marxism and Critical Theory

Introductory Reading:

Peterson, V. Spike. 2014. How is the World Organized Economically? Jenny Edkins and Maja Zehfuss, eds. Global Politics: A New Introduction. Second Edition. London: Routledge (pp. 363-376).

Hobden, Stephen and Richard Wyn Jones. 2014. Marxist Theories of International Relations. John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens, eds. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Sixth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press (pp. 141-154).

Further Reading:

Wallerstein, Immanuel. 2004. World Systems Analysis: An Introduction. Durham: Duke University Press (pp. 23-41).

Cox, Robert. 1981. Social Forces, States and World Orders: Beyond Internation al Relations Theory. Millenium 10(2).

Linklater, Andrew. 2005. Dialogic Politics and the Civilising Process. Review of International Studies 31(1).

Practical Applications:

Apeldoorn, Bastian van and Naná de Graaf. 2014. Corporate Elite Networks and U.S. Post-Cold War Grand Strategy from Clinton to Obama. European Journal of International Relations 20(1).

Feminism

Burchill, Scott et al. (2005) Theories of International Relations, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ch. 9; p. 213-234.

Enloe, Cynthia (1993) The Morning After. Sexual Politics at the End of the Cold War. Berkeley: UCP. Ch. 1, 7 and 8; pp. 10-37; 201-251.

Tickner Ann J. (2005) What Is Your Research Program? Some Feminist Answers to International Relations Methodological Questions. International Studies Quarterly 49: 1-21.

Green Political Theory in IR

Burchill, Scott et al. (2005) Theories of International Relations, Basingstoke: Palgrave. Ch. 10; p. 235-255.

Eckersley, Robyn (2004) The Green State: Rethinking Democracy and Sovereignty. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. Ch. 1 and 2; pp. 1-52.

Bernstein, Steven (2001) The Compromise of Liberal Environmentalism. New York: Columbia University Press. Ch. 3; pp. 70-121.

Constructivism

Introductory Reading:

Drezner, Daniel. 2014. Theories of International Politics and Zombies. Princeton: Princeton University Press (pp. 65-74).

Barnett, Michael. 2014. Social Constructivism. John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens, eds. The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations. Sixth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press (pp. 141-154).

Further Reading:

Wendt, Alexander. 1992. Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics. International Organization 46(2).

Weldes, Jutta. 1996. Constructing National Interests. European Journal of International Relations 2(3).

Finnemore, Martha and Kathryn Sikkink. 1998. International Norm Dynamics and Political Change. International Organization 52(4).

Practical Applications:

Tannenwald, Nina. 1999. The Nuclear Taboo: The United States and the Normative Basis of Nuclear Non-Use. International Organization 53(3).

Continental Approaches