88094 - Political Theories Of Peace And War

Learning outcomes

The course aims to thoroughly examine the theoretical models that interpret the relationships between states, particularly focusing on the dynamics of peace and war, including both interstate and civil conflicts. Specifically, the course will analyze the political theories of key authors who have addressed the concepts of war and peace from the 18th century to the present day. By the end of the course, students will acquire the conceptual and theoretical tools necessary to understand the major internationalist doctrines that have influenced the European (and broader Western) political tradition over the past three centuries, which continue to impact international relations and diplomatic-strategic discussions today.

Course contents

The course aims to reconstruct the evolution of the main theories of war, peace, and international order through the study of the classics of Western political thought. Starting from the experience of the Greek and Roman worlds, the course will analyse reflections on conflict among political communities, the legitimacy of war, the construction of peace, and the forms of international order that have developed throughout European history.

Particular attention will be devoted to the ways in which different authors have addressed some fundamental questions in political theory and international relations: What are the causes of war? Is it possible to establish stable peace among states? Are there moral and legal limits to the use of force? What is the relationship between sovereignty, law, and international order? How have commerce, democracy, nationalism, and modern ideologies transformed the nature of conflict?

The course will begin with an analysis of the works of Thucydides, Plato, and Cicero, before examining the contribution of the medieval Christian tradition through St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. It will then consider the authors who accompanied the crisis of the medieval order and the emergence of political modernity, such as Erasmus of Rotterdam, Thomas More, and Niccolò Machiavelli, before turning to the formation of modern international law with Francisco de Vitoria and Alberico Gentili.

Part of the course will be devoted to the theorists of the modern state and sovereignty, from Jean Bodin to Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, as well as to major eighteenth-century European authors such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Kant, whose reflections profoundly shaped the modern understanding of international relations and projects for peace. The course will then proceed to analyse the liberal and democratic thought of Benjamin Constant and Alexis de Tocqueville, before addressing Marx’s critique of the bourgeois international order.

The final lectures will be devoted to some of the most influential contemporary interpreters of international politics, in particular Carl Schmitt and Raymond Aron, and will conclude with a reflection on the main theoretical traditions that continue to shape debates on international relations today, from realism and liberalism to cosmopolitan perspectives.

The course includes a mid-term assessment designed to verify students’ acquisition of the knowledge covered in the first part of the syllabus. For each lecture, a reading from the works of the authors examined will be assigned as a basis for further study and discussion of the topics addressed during the course.

For each lecture, a reading from the texts of the authors examined will be assigned as the basis for further study and individual preparation.

Detailed Course Programme

The readings assigned for each lecture can be found in the Italian version of the course syllabus.

Lecture 1
Introduction to the course: War, Peace, and International Order in the Tradition of Western Political Thought. Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War and the Origins of Political Realism. Power, Interest, and Necessity in Relations among the Greek Poleis.

Lecture 2
Plato and Cicero: Justice, Political Order, and War. The Classical Tradition of Political Community and the Origins of Reflection on Just War.

Lecture 3
St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas: The Christian Conception of Peace and the Medieval Formulation of Just War Theory.

Lecture 4
Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More: European Humanism between the Critique of War and the Aspiration to Peace.

Lecture 5
Niccolò Machiavelli: Conflict, Virtù, and Reason of State. War and the Foundation of Political Order.

Lecture 6
Francisco de Vitoria: Just War and Universal Rights.

Lecture 7
Alberico Gentili and Hugo Grotius: The Emergence of the Law of Nations and the First Modern Theories of International Society.

Lecture 8
Jean Bodin and Thomas Hobbes: Sovereignty, Security, and Order. From the Modern State to International Anarchy.

Lecture 9
Montesquieu: Commerce, Moderation, and Peace. The Idea of the Douceur des Mœurs (“Gentleness of Manners”) in International Relations. Natural Rights, Limited Government, and Relations among States. Rousseau: The Critique of European Politics and Projects for Peace among States.

Lecture 10
Mid-Term Examination.

Lecture 11
Immanuel Kant: Cosmopolitanism, International Law, and Perpetual Peace (I).

Lecture 12
Immanuel Kant: Cosmopolitanism, International Law, and Perpetual Peace (II).

Lecture 13
Benjamin Constant: Modern Liberty, Constitutionalism, and the Limitation of War.

Lecture 14
Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy, Nationalism, and International Politics. Gustave de Molinari: Peace and the League of Neutral States.

Lecture 15
Karl Marx: Capitalism, Conflict, and Internationalism.

Lecture 16
Carl Schmitt: The Concept of the Political and the Enemy.

Lecture 17
Carl Schmitt: The Critique of Universalism (I).

Lecture 18
Carl Schmitt: The Critique of Universalism (II).

Lecture 19
Raymond Aron: Peace and War among Nations. Realism and International Society in the Twentieth Century.

Lecture 20
Conclusions: The Major Contemporary Traditions of International Relations. Final Discussion and Synthesis of the Main Themes of the Course.

Lecture 21
Second Mid-Term Examination for Students Who Sat the First Mid-Term Assessment.

 

The readings assigned for each lecture can be found in the Italian version of the course syllabus.

 

Readings/Bibliography

STUDENTS ATTENDING THE COURSE

COMPULSORY TEXTS

F. Raschi, Un liberalismo (quasi) introvabile, Le Monnier 2025;

K. Waltz, L'uomo, lo stato, la guerra, Morcelliana, 2026;

A. Campi, M. Chiaruzzi (a cura di), Pensiero politico e relazioni internazionali. Dalla modernità al mondo globale, Rubbettino, 2025 (The authors indicated in the syllabus);

P. Butti de Lima, F. Tuccari, Forme e culture della guerra, Mulino, 2025 (the sections specified in the syllabus);

L.G. Castellin, Sotto il cielo vuoto. Il realismo politico nella storia del pensiero internazionale, Le Monnier, 2022 (the sections specified in the syllabus);

G. Sartori, Elementi di teoria politica, Mulino, 1987 (le parti indicate nel sillabo);

C. Schmitt, Le categorie de 'il politico', Mulino, 2014 ;

Carl Schmitt, Il nomos della terra, Adelphi 1991;

R. Aron, Pace e guerra tra le nazioni, Mondadori, 1970, pp. 124-157; 187-219; 659-693.

Further bibliographical references will be provided at the beginning of the course and will also be posted on this page.

Non-attending students are required to contact the professor, as their examination syllabus must be determined in consultation with him.

Teaching methods

The course consists of 20 two-hour lectures and is delivered primarily through lectures. These are designed to provide students with the conceptual, methodological, and historical-interpretative tools necessary to critically analyse the relationship between war, peace, and international order within the tradition of Western political thought.

The lectures will combine the reconstruction of the historical and theoretical contexts in which the authors under study developed their ideas with the direct analysis of key texts and concepts. Particular attention will be devoted to different interpretations of war, peace, sovereignty, international law, and relations among states. Through the study of the works of major political thinkers, students will be encouraged to identify both continuities and discontinuities in the development of political ideas and to appreciate the contemporary relevance of the categories elaborated within the Western political tradition.

Lectures will also include opportunities for discussion and critical engagement with the assigned readings, with the aim of fostering students’ active participation and developing their analytical, interpretative, and argumentative skills.

Assessment methods

Assessment Methods and Grading Criteria FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS

Students will be assessed through mid-term and final written examinations covering both the topics discussed during the lectures and the required course readings. The examinations are designed to evaluate the critical and methodological skills acquired by students, particularly their ability to analyse, interpret, and critically assess the concepts and issues addressed throughout the course. Students will also be evaluated on their capacity to engage directly with the texts examined during the course and to contextualise them within broader historical and theoretical debates.

The assessment criteria are the same for both attending and non-attending students and are as follows:

30 cum laude – 29 (Excellent)
Students demonstrate a comprehensive, in-depth, and critically informed understanding of the topics covered. They are able to place authors, concepts, and theories within their appropriate historical and theoretical contexts, identifying continuities, discontinuities, and conceptual connections with precision. They employ disciplinary terminology rigorously and develop independent, coherent, and well-structured arguments.

28 – 27 (Very Good)
Students possess a broad and secure knowledge of the course content and demonstrate strong analytical and critical interpretative skills. Disciplinary terminology is used correctly, and arguments are generally well developed and convincing, although they may exhibit minor inaccuracies or a lesser degree of depth than those characteristic of excellent performance.

26 – 24 (Good)
Students demonstrate a solid overall preparation and a good understanding of the principal authors and concepts discussed in the course. They are capable of analysing and connecting the main themes of the syllabus, although their critical autonomy may occasionally be limited or their theoretical analysis less developed.

23 – 22 (Satisfactory)
Students possess an adequate knowledge of the essential contents of the syllabus and demonstrate a sufficient ability to navigate the authors and conceptual categories examined during the course. Their answers are generally correct but tend to be descriptive rather than analytical and are not always supported by genuine critical reflection.

21 – 18 (Pass)
Students demonstrate the minimum level of knowledge required to pass the examination. Their understanding of the topics is partial, connections among authors and themes are limited, and disciplinary terminology is not always used appropriately. Nevertheless, the deficiencies identified do not prevent the achievement of the fundamental learning outcomes of the course.

Below 18 (Fail)
Students display significant deficiencies in their knowledge of the subject matter, difficulties in employing the fundamental concepts of the discipline, and an inability to contextualise authors and theories appropriately. These shortcomings prevent the achievement of the minimum learning outcomes required by the course.

FOR NON-ATTENDING STDUENTS

Written examination covering the required readings and materials agreed upon with the professor.

Teaching tools

Reading of texts in class and Power Point presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Raschi