The nature and purpose of the study of international relations is now widely contested. This is reflected in the diversification of theoretical approaches in the field. Conventional perspectives (realism, neorealism), once largely unchallenged, now face both reformist (liberalism, rationalism) and critical (Marxism, postmodernism) rivals. This unit focuses on the evolution of international thought last century by concentrating on the debates and disputes between competing intellectual perspectives. The approaches of various theoretical traditions to the central actors and issues in global politics-such as human rights, war, sovereignty, markets and the environment are a central focus of... -- Course Website
Instructor: S Burchill
