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Updated in [August 13th, 2023]
Skills and Knowledge Acquired:
The course "Understanding International Relations Theory" offered by the Higher School of Economics provides students with the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the field of international relations. Through this course, students will gain an understanding of the history of the formation of the modern system of international relations, the features of various theories interpreting the foreign policy of the state, and the ability to analyze the foreign policy of states through the prism of the theory of international relations. Additionally, students will learn about the actors of international relations, the types of power in international relations, and the critical analysis of the foreign policy of states through the theories of international relations. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret important international events and foreign policy of states through the prism of different theories of international relations.
Contribution to Professional Growth:
Understanding International Relations Theory is an online course that provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the history and theories of international relations. Through this course, students will gain an understanding of the different theories of international relations, such as realism, liberalism, Marxism, Constructivism, Postmodernism, and Feminism. They will also learn about the actors of international politics and the different types of power in international relations. Furthermore, students will be able to analyze the foreign policy of states through the prism of the theories of international relations. This course will help students to develop their critical thinking skills and gain a better understanding of international relations. By completing this course, students will be able to apply their knowledge to analyze international events and foreign policy of states. This course will contribute to professional growth by providing students with the necessary knowledge and skills to understand and analyze international relations.
Suitability for Further Education:
This course is suitable for preparing further education in the field of international relations. It provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the history of the formation of the modern system of international relations, as well as the features of various theories interpreting the foreign policy of the state. Students will be able to analyze the special features of different theories of international relations, ranging from realism, liberalism and Marxism to Constructivism, Postmodernism, Feminism etc. Moreover, they will be able to interpret important international events and foreign policy of states through the prism of different theories of international relations. The course also includes tests and essays which will help students to consolidate their knowledge in the field of international relations.
Course Syllabus
Birth of the science and classical tradition
The module aims to introduce to the ancient roots of the modern IR theories. Starting form Thucydides and his "History of Peloponnesian War" the lecture teaches to the student's further intellectual development of the realist paradigm of international relations: Machiavelli, Hobbes and creation of the Treaty of Westphalia, which in many respects became a foundation of the modern international politics. Origins of Liberalism
The lecture introduces the students to the second grand paradigm of international relations: liberalism. What if the international politics is not a static world of fights and survival, but a permanent movement to a better world? The origins of the new approach lies in the age of Enlightenment and even earlier - in the very core ideas of Christianity. The beginning: the World Wars and genesis of the IR science
Since the very beginning the development of political thought was hugely stimulated by wars. In the first half of the XX century the question of war and peace became critical for survival of our civilisation. The module introduces to the great debates between the two grand paradigms during the World Wars and explains how the first scientific theories emerged from these debates. Kenneth Waltz and Structural Theory
The Cold War became a new intellectual challenge for the IR thinkers. How to survive in the nuclear age? The module introduces to the realist answer, which took a form of the structural realism. Neoliberalism: The Liberal paradigm after the WWII
The module aims to teach the evolution of the liberal paradigm during the Cold War. Failed to build up an "eternal peace" after the French Revolution and after the WWI, liberalism proposes a new, even more comprehensive theory to make a new attempt. Marxism and Neo-Marxism
While the two classical paradigms passes through great debates, Marxism proposes a fundamentally different picture of the world. Welcome to the world of class struggle and imperialist wars: a comprehensive study of economic factors, which drives the world politics will challenge the very basic assumptions of realism and liberalism. Critical IR theories (Constructivism, Postmodernism, Feminism)
The end of the Cold War, which have never been predicted by any classical theory, put a question about their legitimacy and broke up fundamental academic debates. The module introduce to the so-called critical theories and their interpretation of the key problems of world politics. Actors in international relations
The module focuses on the one of the key theoretical problems in the IR science: who is actor of international politics? While some theories assumes that only states have enough capabilities ti be considered as actors if IR, some concepts assume that even an individual can play an important role. The module introduces the students to these important debates. Power in international relations
Power is the fundamental category of political science. What is power in IR and how can we classify it? What is the balance of power concept? Which state is the most powerful in the world and can a non-state actor dominate the world politics? The module give answers to these and other questions relating the topic. Global governance
Is it possible to establish a world government? And will it lead to "eternal peace"? These questions are essential to understand the key patterns and contradictions, which drive the modern international politics. Back to classics: the Realist Paradigm in the XXI century
The most ancient concept emerges again in the XXI century: with new conflicts, hybrid wars and power struggle between the key states realism seems to be the best to explain international politics. Does it mean that the mankind never changes and the modern world is not so different from the world of Thucydides? Or the realist theories just adapt themselves to the modern world? Russia as a realist power
Russian foreign policy seems to be a mystery for many observers. The module proposes a realist interpretation of the Russian actions within the international system. Does it give an all out explanations?
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