Read complete books and articles on: International Relations

International Relations - study of the relations among states and other political and economic units in the international system. Particular areas of study within the field of international relations include diplomacy and diplomatic history, international law, international organizations, international finance and economics, and communications, among others. In addition, increased attention has been paid in recent years to developing a more scientific understanding of the international system as a whole. Aspects of international relations have been studied as early as the time of the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. As a separate and definable discipline, however, it dates from the early 20th cent., when the first organized efforts were made to find alternatives to wars in nation-state international behavior. Two schools of thought quickly developed. One looks to strengthened international law and international organizations to preserve peace; the other emphasizes that nations will always use their power to achieve goals and sees the key to peace in a balance of power among competing states. With increased importance attached to a theoretical understanding of the whole international system, there has been a growing use of concepts and modes of analysis developed in the natural sciences in an attempt to improve the verifiability and applicability of theories. In many of the leading U.S. universities there are both research institutes and schools of international relations. See diplomatic service; United Nations; European Union.

See R. Aron, Peace and War (tr. 1967); H. J. Morgenthau, Politics among Nations (5th ed. rev. 1978); F. S. Northedge and M. J. Grieve, A Hundred Years of International Relations (1971); R. W. Mansbach and J. A. Vasquez, In Search of Theory (1981); F. S. Pearson and J. M. Rochester, International Relations (2d ed. 1988).

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16 of the Best Books and Articles on: International Relations

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

International Relations: The Key Concepts » Read Now
by Martin Griffiths, Terry O'Callaghan. 400 pgs.

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This Routledge Key Guide introduces the most important themes in international relations, with an emphasis on contemporary issues. Entries cover diplomacy, global warming, terrorism, human rights, rogue states, arms control and ethnic cleansing.
2.

International Relations in a Changing Global System: Toward a Theory of the World Polity » Read Now
by Seyom Brown. 189 pgs.

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3.

New Thinking in International Relations Theory » Read Now
by Michael W. Doyle, G. John Ikenberry. 296 pgs.

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This book of 10 original essays provides a showcase of diverse current theories in the field of international relations. Contributors address the theoretical analysis that their perspectives bring to the issue of change in global politics.
4.

Rethinking International Relations » Read Now
by Fred Halliday. 294 pgs.

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5.

Beyond the Ivory Tower: International Relations Theory and the Issue of Policy Relevance » Read Now
by Joseph Lepgold, Miroslav Nincic. 228 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

The gap between academics and practitioners in international relations has widened in recent years, according to the authors of this book. Many international relations scholars no longer try to reach beyond the ivory tower and many policymakers disdain international relations scholarship as arcane...
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The gap between academics and practitioners in international relations has widened in recent years, according to the authors of this book. Many international relations scholars no longer try to reach beyond the ivory tower and many policymakers disdain international relations scholarship as arcane and irrelevant. Joseph Lepgold and Miroslav Nincic demonstrate how good international relations theory can inform policy choices. Globalization, ethnic conflict, and ecological threats have created a new set of issues that challenge policymakers, and cutting-edge scholarship can contribute a great deal to the diagnosis and handling of potentially explosive situations.
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6.

Political Theories of International Relations: From Thucydides to the Present » Read Now
by David Boucher. 443 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

Boucher uses ideas of Western philosophy's most significant thinkers to trace the history of political theory in international relations. He ends by showing how theories compare with and extend the themes addressed by their predecessors.
7.

Explaining International Relations since 1945 » Read Now
by Ngaire Woods. 381 pgs.

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History and theory are all too often treated as separate approaches to international relations. This book offers an accessible synthesis of sophisticated theory and in-depth history. The uses of theory are examined in the opening section which includes a defence of the historical method by John...
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History and theory are all too often treated as separate approaches to international relations. This book offers an accessible synthesis of sophisticated theory and in-depth history. The uses of theory are examined in the opening section which includes a defence of the historical method by John Lewis Gaddis and the arguments for a more scientific method by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. The subsequent chapters of the book take major issues and episodes in international relations since 1945 (such as the rise of Japan, change in Latin America, wars in the Middle East, and decolonization) and demonstrate how it is that particular theories assist in explaining them. These include theories of power, cooperation, alliances, empire, integration, and arms control. The student is left with a nuanced view of history and a critical but constructive approach to theories of international relations. The book challenges both students and academics to think afresh about the ways they analyze international relations.
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8.

Justice, Community and Dialogue in International Relations » Read Now
by Richard Shapcott. 260 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

This book is concerned with the issue of cultural diversity and international morality. The author asks whether cultural diversity presents an obstacle to the development of ethical codes which could be acceptable to cultures around the world. He argues that the human capacity to engage in...
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This book is concerned with the issue of cultural diversity and international morality. The author asks whether cultural diversity presents an obstacle to the development of ethical codes which could be acceptable to cultures around the world. He argues that the human capacity to engage in conversation and the ability to understand each other despite linguistic and cultural differences can provide the basis for the development of a world-wide, cosmopolitian moral community. Conversation can be a moral act, in which participants treat each other as equals despite their differences.
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9.

Globalization and Fragmentation: International Relations in the Twentieth Century » Read Now
by Ian Clark. 220 pgs.

Collections: History, Entire Library

Globalization and Fragmentation offers a succinct, original critique of the century's international developments. It sets out a challenging analysis of globalization as a process reflecting political relations both between and within states.
10.

Revolutions in Sovereignty: How Ideas Shaped Modern International Relations » Read Now
by Daniel Philpott. 339 pgs.

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How did the world come to be organized into sovereign states? Daniel Philpott argues that two historical revolutions in ideas are responsible. First, the Protestant Reformation ended medieval Christendom and brought a system of sovereign states in Europe, culminating at the Peace of Westphalia in...
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How did the world come to be organized into sovereign states? Daniel Philpott argues that two historical revolutions in ideas are responsible. First, the Protestant Reformation ended medieval Christendom and brought a system of sovereign states in Europe, culminating at the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Second, ideas of equality and colonial nationalism brought a sweeping end to colonial empires around 1960, spreading the sovereign states system to the rest of the globe. In both cases, revolutions in ideas about legitimate political authority profoundly altered the "constitution" that establishes basic authority in the international system.Ideas exercised influence first by shaping popular identities, then by exercising social power upon the elites who could bring about new international constitutions. Swaths of early modern Europeans, for instance, arrived at Protestant beliefs, then fought against the temporal powers of the Church on behalf of the sovereignty of secular princes, who could overthrow the formidable remains of a unified medieval Christendom. In the second revolution, colonial nationalists, domestic opponents of empire, and rival superpowers pressured European cabinets to relinquish their colonies in the name of equality and nationalism, resulting in a global system of sovereign states. Bringing new theoretical and historical depth to the study of international relations, Philpott demonstrates that while shifts in military, economic, and other forms of material power cannot be overlooked, only ideas can explain how the world came to be organized into a system of sovereign states.
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11.

Ideology and International Relations in the Modern World » Read Now
by Alan Cassels. 302 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

Cassels traces the part played by ideology in international relations over the past two centuries. Starting with the French Revolution's injection of ideology into inter-state politics, he finishes by addressing present day preoccupations with the legacy of nationalist discontent left by the...
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Cassels traces the part played by ideology in international relations over the past two centuries. Starting with the French Revolution's injection of ideology into inter-state politics, he finishes by addressing present day preoccupations with the legacy of nationalist discontent left by the collapse of communism and the resurgence of religious fundamentalism in world politics. Cassels includes discussion of Marxism-Leninism, Fascism and Nazism but eschewing exclusive focus on totalitarianism, he also shows how diverse less rigid belief systems of conservatism, liberalism and nationalism influence international affairs.The focus and emphasis given to ideology in an historical survey of such broad scope make this book unusual, and even controversial. Social scientific and philosophical discussions of ideology make only glancing reference to foreign policy. Historians have generally touched on ideology only within the context of the case study, while the realist theorists of international relations play down its influence.
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12.

European Approaches to International Relations Theory: A House with Many Mansions » Read Now
by Jorg Friedrichs. 207 pgs.

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A well-established community of American scholars has long dominated the discipline of international relations. Recently, however, certain strands of continental theorizing are being introduced into the mainstream. Thisnbsp;is a critical examination of European approaches to international...
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A well-established community of American scholars has long dominated the discipline of international relations. Recently, however, certain strands of continental theorizing are being introduced into the mainstream. Thisnbsp;is a critical examination of European approaches to international relations theory, suggesting practical ways of challenging manistream thought. Freidrichs presents a detailed sociological analysis of knowledge production in existing European IR communities, namely France, Italy and Scandinavia. He also discusses a selection of European schools and approaches.
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13.

Idealism and Realism in International Relations: Beyond the Discipline » Read Now
by Robert M. A. Crawford. 198 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Entire Library

The author argues for a revised conception of international relations that acknowledges the irreconcilability of realist and idealist theories, and concerns itself instead with important substantive issues.
14.

Realism and International Relations » Read Now
by Jack Donnelly. 231 pgs.

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Realism and International Relations offers students a critical yet sympathetic review of political realism, the theory that for the past half-century has dominated international studies. Examining realist thinkers from Thucydides, through Machiavelli to Kenneth Waltz, Donnelly challenges standard...
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Realism and International Relations offers students a critical yet sympathetic review of political realism, the theory that for the past half-century has dominated international studies. Examining realist thinkers from Thucydides, through Machiavelli to Kenneth Waltz, Donnelly challenges standard realist claims and argues that realism is an insightful yet one-sided theory. Containing chapter-by-chapter guides to further reading and discussion questions for students, this book offers an accessible and lively survey of the dominant theory in International Relations.
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15.

The Cultural Construction of International Relations: The Invention of the State of Nature » Read Now
by Beate Jahn. 182 pgs.

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The discipline of international relations deals with the problem of culture by defining world politics as a state of nature, yet it ignores the fact that the concept of the state is itself a cultural product. This text uncovers the history of the concept.
16.

Internationalism and the State in the Twentieth Century » Read Now
by Cornelia Navari. 374 pgs.

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Using in-depth analysis of power relations, material changes and developments in ideologies, this essential text provides an accessible and student friendly historical introduction to the changing relations between states. The subjects covered include long term trends relating to war, the changing...
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Using in-depth analysis of power relations, material changes and developments in ideologies, this essential text provides an accessible and student friendly historical introduction to the changing relations between states. The subjects covered include long term trends relating to war, the changing balance of power, decolonisation, the European system and the Cold War. This volume is essential reading for all those interested in the history of International Relations in the twentieth century.
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