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 Read More...

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).

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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International Relations

1.

International Relations: The Key Concepts
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.

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Title Page

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Key Concepts

Appendix: International Relations Web Sites

Bibliography

Name Index

Subject Index
2.

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

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Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

Introduction: the Need for a Theory of the World Polity

Part One: Analytical Framework

1: The Anarchic Structure of the Nation-State System

2: The Phenomenon of International Cooperation

3: The Prominence of War

4: Vast Economic Disparities Among Countries

5: The Mismatch Between Polity and Ecology

6: Human Rights Vs. State Rights

7: The Incongruity of Society and Governance in the Nation-State System

Part Two: Toward Normative Theory

8: The Normative Framework

9: Implications for Public Policy and Institutional Development

Conclusion: the Case for a Normatively Oriented Theory of the World Polity

References

About the Book and Author

Index
3.

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

Book

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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.

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Contents

Preface

1: Introduction: The End of the Cold War, the Classical Tradition, and International Change

2: Inventing International Relations: International Relations: Theory After 1945

Notes

3: Post-Theory: The Eternal Return of Ethics in International Relations

Notes

4: Feminist Inquiry and International Relations

Notes

5: Geopolitics and Change

Notes

6: Complexity, Formal Methods, and Ideology in International Studies

Notes

7: Realist International Theory and the Study of World Politics

Notes

8: Domestic Structure and International Change

Notes

References

9: Institutions and Change

Notes

10: Conclusion: Continuity and Innovation in International Relations Theory

Notes

About the Book and Editors

About the Contributors

Index
4.

Rethinking International Relations
by Fred Halliday. 294 pgs.

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By the same author

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

1: Introduction: The Pertinence of the 'International'

2: Theories in Contention

Conclusion: Another Path

3: A Necessary Encounter:

4: State and Society in International Relations

5: International Society as Homogeneity

6: 'the Sixth Great Power': Revolutions and the International System

7: Hidden from International Relations: Women and the International Arena

8: Inter-Systemic Conflict: The Case of Cold War

9: A Singular Collapse: The Soviet Union and Inter- State Competition

10: International Relations and the 'End of History'

11: Conclusion: The Future of International Relations

Notes

Name Index

Subject Index
5.

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

Book

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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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Contents

Preface

Beyond the Ivory Tower

1: The Theory-Practice Gap in International Relations

2: Types of Knowledge and Their Practical Uses

3: How Knowledge Is Acquired and Used

4: Scholarship and Relevance: Is There a Tradeoff?

5: The Inter-Democratic Peacetheoretical Foundations and Policy Implications

6: International Institutions and the Possibilities for Cooperation: Theoretical Foundations and Policy Implications

7: Useful Knowledge: Value, Promise, and Limitations

Notes

Index
6.

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

Book

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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.

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Acknowledgements

Contents

Introduction

Part I: Empirical Realism

Part II: Universal Moral Order

Part III: Historical Reason

Bibliography

Index
7.

Explaining International Relations since 1945
by Ngaire Woods. 381 pgs.

Book

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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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CONTENTS

NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

INTRODUCTION

INDEX
8.

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

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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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Cambridge Studies in International Relations: Justice, Community and Dialogue in International Relations

Cambridge Studies in International Relations

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1: Beyond the Cosmopolitan/communitarian Divide

2: Community and Communication in Interpretive Theories of International Relations

3: Emancipation and Legislation: the Boundaries of Conversation in Poststructuralism and the Critical Theory of Ir

4: Philosophical Hermeneutics: Understanding, Practical Reasoning and Human Solidarity

5: Philosophical Hermeneutics and Its Critics

6: Towards a Thin Cosmopolitanism

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Cambridge Studies in International Relations
9.

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

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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.

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Detailed Contents

Introduction

1: Globalization and Fragmentation

2: The Paradoxes of the Pre-War World, 1900-1914

3: The Impact of War, 1914-1919

4: The Fragmentation of the Inter-War Era, 1919-1939

5: States of War, 1939-1945

6: The Cold War and Globalization, 1945-1969

7: Eras of Negotiation and Confrontation, 1970-1989

8: Beyond the Cold War, 1990-2000

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index
10.

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

Book

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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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Contents

Tables and Figures

Preface

Part One: Revolutions in Sovereignty

One: Introduction: Revolutions in Sovereignty

Two: The Constitution of International Society

Three: A Brief History of Constitutions of International Society in the West

Four: How Revolutions in Ideas Bring Revolutions in Sovereignty

Part Two: The Founding of the Sovereign States System at Westphalia

Five: Westphalia as Origin

Six: The Origin of Westphalia

Seven: The Power of Protestant Propositions

Part Three: The Revolution of Colonial Independence: the Global Expansion of Westphalia

Eight: Ideas and the End of Empire

Nine: The End of the British Empire: Cashing out the Promise of Self-Government

Ten: Revolutionary Ideas in the British Colonies

Eleven: Britain's Burden of Empire

Twelve: The Fall of Greater France

Part Four: The Revolutions Considered Together

Thirteen: Conclusion: Two Revolutions, One Movement

Notes

Bibliography

Index
11.

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

Book

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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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Contents

Series Editor’s Preface

Preface

Introduction

1: Raison D’État Meets the Enlightenment

2: The Birth of Ideology

3: Conservatives, Liberals and Nationalist Ideology

4: Ideology and Realpolitik

5: Ideology and Mass Democracy

6: Ideology and the Great War

7: Enter Total Ideologies

8: A Second Global Conflict

9: Ideology and Global Politics

Conclusion

Notes

Select Bibliography

Index
12.

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

Book

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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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Contents

Illustrations

Series Editor's Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

1: International Relations

Part I: Developmental Pathways

2: International Relations Theory in France

3: International Relations Theory in Italy

4: International Relations Theory in the Nordic Countries

Part II: Triangular Reasoning

5: Third Way or Via Media?

6: Middle Ground or Halfway House?

Part III: Theoretical Reconstruction

7: The Meaning of New Medievalism

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

Index
13.

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

Book

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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.

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Contents

Preface

1: Introduction

2: The Roots of Diversity in Political and Social Theory

3: From Idealism to Realism

4: Idealism, Realism and National Differences

5: Idealism, Realism and National Differences

6: A Discipline Pas De Comme Les Autres?

Notes

Bibliography

Index
14.

Realism and International Relations
by Jack Donnelly. 231 pgs.

Book

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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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Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1: The Realist Tradition

2: Human Nature and State Motivation

3: Anarchy, Hierarchy, and Order

4: System, Structure, and Balance of Power

5: Institutions and International Society

6: Morality and Foreign Policy

Conclusion: the Nature and Contribution of Realism

Selected Recommended Readings

References

Index
15.

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

Book

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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.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1: Culture, Nature and the Ambivalence of International Theory

Part I: Historical Origins of the State of Nature

2: The 'Discovery' of America as a Culture Shock

3: Reinventing the State of Nature

Part II: The State of Nature and the Reconstitution of European Thought

5: The Tyranny of the European Context: Reading Classical Political Theory in International Relations

6: The State of Nature as the Basis for Classical Political Thought

7: The Politics of the State of Nature in the American and French Revolutions

8: Conclusion: the Consequences of the State of Nature for International Relations Theory

Notes

Bibliography

Index
16.

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

Book

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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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Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1: The Long Trends

1: Population

2: Production and Consumption

3: Commerce and Finance

4: Industry

5: National Self-Determination

6: War

Notes

7: The Changing Balance of Power

Part 2: State Policy

8: The Changing State

9: The Interests of the Major Powers

10: The Cold War

11: Decolonisation

12: Political Economy

Part 3: The New International Management

13: The New Liberalism

14: The New Diplomacy and the New State

15: The Modern Law of Nations

16: Public International Organisation

17: Allies and Alliances

18: The European System

19: The Revolution of Internationalism

Index

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