Introduction to International Relations

• International Relations (IR) studies interactions between countries and global actors.
• IR focuses on war, peace, cooperation, conflict, economics, and globalization.
• Lowercase "international relations" refers to real-world interactions between states and other global actors.
• Uppercase "International Relations" is the academic discipline studying these interactions.

IR's Origins

• IR emerged as a field after World War I to prevent future wars.
• The first IR university chair was established in 1920 at the University College of Wales.
• Early IR scholars focused on building peace.
• World War II broadened IR's focus to human rights and weapons of mass destruction.
• The wars underscored the need to prevent violence, becoming a central IR concern.

The Interwar Period (1919-1939)

• Early IR scholars like David Davis sought practical ways to establish peace.
• Treaties and international organizations such as the League of Nations were hoped to prevent war.
• The efforts to prevent the war ultimately failed.
• Edward Hallett Carr argued post-World War I peace settlements set the stage for conflict.
• Revisionist states like Germany and Japan pushed to change the international order.
• Attempts to appease these revisionist states through diplomatic concessions failed, leading to World War II.

Key Events Prior to Modern IR

• Treaty of Westphalia (1648) established state sovereignty and non-interference.
• The Rise of the Nation (17th-18th centuries) saw nations asserting political and territorial sovereignty.
• The Age of Exploration (15th-17th centuries) began global trade and early international contact.
• The Peace of Utrecht (1713) introduced Europe's balance of power.
• The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) reshaped Europe post-Napoleonic Wars and formalized diplomacy.
• The Industrial Revolution spurred diplomacy by easing global trade and communication.
• The Monroe Doctrine (1823) declared U.S. opposition to European colonization in the Americas.
• The Opium Wars (1839-1860) reshaped global relations due to China's conflicts with Britain and France.
• The Congress of Berlin (1884-1885) formalized colonialism by dividing Africa among European powers.
• World War I (1914-1918) led to the League of Nations' creation.
• The League of Nations (1920) was the first attempt at global governance and peacekeeping.

Development of IR as an Academic Discipline

• Ancient & Medieval Times: early diplomacy and statecraft laid the groundwork for understanding international politics.
• 16th Century: works, like Machiavelli's The Prince, were early theories on power politics and state behavior.
• Late 19th Century: there was a shift toward the formal study of state interactions, coupled with international law and diplomacy.
• Post-World War I (1919): Woodrow Wilson’s ideas on global governance and the League of Nations pushed for formal study and international institutions.
• 1919: the first academic department of International Politics was founded at Aberystwyth University, establishing IR as an academic field.
• Interwar Period (1919-1939): E.H. Carr and Hans Morgenthau were scholars that developed key theories on power, conflict, and state behavior.
• World War II & Post-War: the formation of the United Nations and global cooperation expanded IR studies into global peace and governance.
• Cold War (1947-1991): studies focused on superpower rivalry and security.
• Late 20th Century to Present: diverse approaches like realism, liberalism, constructivism, and feminism expanded IR into a global, multi-faceted academic discipline.

Political Philosophy

• IR is built on political philosophy from thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Karl Marx.
• These pre-IR thinkers influenced core field concepts.

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

• Hobbes lived during England's civil war (1642-1651), a time of chaos and violence.
• Hobbes believed in a state of nature without government, humans would be in constant conflict.
• Anarchy makes life "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."
• Hobbes believed a powerful ruler (the Leviathan) would impose order, enforce laws, and ensure peace to avoid chaos.
• Hobbes' theories on anarchy and the necessity of order have been influential in IR.
• Without global government, the international system has an anarchic nature where states protect their interests and conflict occurs.

John Locke (1632-1704)

• Locke lived after Hobbes, during the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which replaced King James II with William and Mary.
• Locke had a more optimistic view of human nature where people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
• Governments should protect these rights, and rulers are legitimate with governed consent.
• If a ruler violates the social contract and fails to protect rights, the people have the right to overthrow the government.
• Locke's ideas on natural rights and the social contract influenced liberal theories in IR.
• There is an emphasis on human rights and the need for governments to protect citizens’ freedoms.

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

• Marx lived during the Industrial Revolution and focused on wealth and power distribution between factory owners (bourgeoisie) and workers (proletariat).
• Marx argued the ruling class uses politics to maintain economic dominance, with conflicts arising from class struggles.
• Wars and imperialism secure resources and markets for the ruling class.
• Marx's ideas were adopted by thinkers like Vladimir Lenin, who linked imperialism to capitalism.
• His ideas on economic exploitation and class struggle have been central to critical approaches in IR.
• Critical approaches are crucial for examining the relationship between rich and poor nations or the role of multinational corporations in global politics.

Summary of Key Thinkers

• Thomas Hobbes:
  • Believed humans are naturally in conflict without government.
  • Anarchy leads to conflict.
  • Influenced realist IR theories with a focus on power, security, and anarchy.
• John Locke:
  • Believed people have natural rights (life, liberty, property).
  • Governments must protect these rights.
  • Shaped liberal IR theories that emphasize human rights and consent of the governed.
• Karl Marx:
  • Believed society is divided by class struggle.
  • Politics serves the interests of the wealthy.
  • Contributed to critical IR theories focused on economic exploitation and inequality.

Applying Political Philosophy

• IR theories help understand modern issues.
• The theories of Hobbes, Locke, and Marx are useful in analyzing conflicts.

Hobbes: The Need for Order

• Hobbes believed strong governments are needed or chaos and violence take over.
• Hobbes would argue any government, even a harsh one, is better than no government.
• In Syria, where the Assad government lacks control, groups like IS step in to create order.
• Hobbes would stress that a powerful state is needed to restore peace.

Locke: Natural Rights and the Social Contract

• Locke believed people have natural rights (life, liberty, property) that the government must protect.
• If a government fails, people have the right to rebel.
• Assad's government violated people's rights and caused the protests against him.
• Assad when he used violence against peaceful protestors.
• Only a government that respects people's rights can maintain power, in Locke’s view.

Marx: Economic Power and Class Struggle

• Marx believed politics stems from economic power and class conflict.
• The wealthy control the system to maintain their interests.
• The Syrian conflict can be seen as a battle among groups controlling wealth; Assad's regime is supported by Russia, and IS is funded by oil.
• Control over resources helps these groups maintain power.