B5878 - International Relations Theory

Learning outcomes

The course aims to achieve advanced knowledge of the main contemporary theories of international relations (realism, liberalism, constructivism). At the end of the course, students will command the most important debates within the IR literature. They will have also developed the analytical skills necessary to understand the functioning of the contemporary international system.

Course contents

This course focuses on the study of international relations theory and addresses the following important questions: the primary nature of international politics, the functioning of the international system, the balance of power in international relations (IR), the causes of war and conflict, the foundations of peace and cooperation, the importance of norms, ideas, and ethics in IR, and the developments in the contemporary international system.

Students are introduced to different perspectives and paradigms that explain the international system and the relationship between states in international politics. The course covers the issues of domestic political structure, foreign policy, regional and international developments, social, political, and economic interests, and the role of norms and identity in shaping relationships among states. It is organised on a comprehensive review of theoretical and empirical literature on IR Theory, power politics, and alliance formation while also discussing how the international system works, the balance of power in international politics, strategies of national security, and the relationship between domestic structure and foreign policy.

Readings/Bibliography

Required Readings

The syllabus and assigned materials for the “International Relations Theory” course consist of the following mandatory readings:

1. Aron, Raymond. Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations. New York: Routledge, 2017. Part 1, Chapters II, III, and IV.

2. Evangelista, Matthew A. “Teaching Writing about International Relations.” In Jonathan Monroe, ed., Local Knowledges, Local Practices: Writing in the Disciplines at Cornell. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2003. Available at: https://matthewevangelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/teaching-writing-about-international-relations.pdf

3. Sterling-Folker, Jennifer. Making Sense of International Relations Theory. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2006.

4. Walt, Stephen. “Alliance Formation and the Balance of Power.” International Security, no. 4 (Spring 1985): 3-43.

5. Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics. Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1979.

Secondary readings that cover three main paradigms of International Relations - Realism, Constructivism, and Liberalism:

1. Bull, Hedley. “International Theory: The Case for a Classical Approach.” World Politics (18)3 (April 1966): pp. 361-77. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2009761?seq=1

2. Evangelista, Matthew A. “Wilson’s ideas, Carr’s critique and the role of Russia in the post-Soviet space.” In Enrico Fassi and Vittorio Emanuele Parsi, eds., Liberal World Order and Beyond. Milan: Vita & Pensiero, 2021. Available at: https://matthewevangelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/evangelista-wilsons-ideas-carrs-critique-copy.pdf

3. Moravcsik, Andrew. “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics.” International Organization, No. 51/4 (Autumn 1997): 513-53.

4. Morgenthau, Hans. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Reviewed by Kenneth Thompson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985. Chapter 1.

5. Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization, No. 2 (1992): 391-425.

Course Schedule

September 30 - Class 1: Introduction

Readings:

1. Sterling-Folker, Jennifer. Making Sense of International Relations Theory. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2006, pp. 4-7.

2. Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics. Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1979. Chapter 1.

October 1 - Class 2: Realism and Neorealism

Readings:

1. Sterling-Folker, Jennifer. Making Sense of International Relations Theory. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2006, pp. 15-21.

3. Machiavelli, Nicollo. The Prince. Translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Introduction (pp. 8-16) and Chapter 3.

4. Waltz, Kenneth. “Realist Thought and Neorealist Theory.” Journal of International Affairs (44)1 (Spring 1990): 21-37.

October 7 - Class 3: Classical Realism vs. Offensive Realism

Readings:

1. Morgenthau, Hans. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Reviewed by Kenneth Thompson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985, Chapter 1.

5. Mearsheimer, John. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: Norton & Company, 2001. pp. 4-15.

October 8 - Class 4: Constructivism

Readings:

1. Sterling-Folker, Jennifer. Making Sense of International Relations Theory. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2006, pp. 127-36.

6. Klotz, Audie. Norms in International Relations. The Struggle Against Apartheid. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995. pp. 13-39.

October 14 - Class 5: Domestic Structure and International Relations

Readings:

1. Jepperson, Ronald L., Alexander Wendt, and Peter J. Katzenstein. “Norms, Identity, and Culture in National Security.” In Peter J. Katzenstein, ed., The Culture of National Security, pp. 33-75. New York: Columbia University Press, 1996.

2. Evangelista, Matthew A. “Domestic Structure and International Change.” In G. John Ikenberry and Michael Doyle, eds., New Thinking in International Relations Theory, pp. 202-28. Boulder: Westview, 1977.

October 15 - Class 6: Liberalism

Readings:

1. Moravcsik, Andrew. “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics.” International Organization, No. 51/4 (Autumn 1997): 513-53.

2. Owen, John M. “How Liberalism Produces Democratic Peace.” International Security (19)2 (Fall 1994): 87-125.

October 28 - Class 7: Student’s Presentation and Discussions

Theories and Paradigms in International Relations

Core Readings:

1. Sterling-Folker, Jennifer. Making Sense of International Relations Theory. London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2006.

2. Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics. Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1979.

3. Morgenthau, Hans. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Reviewed by Kenneth Thompson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985.

October 29 - Class 8: Power Politics and Anarchic Order

Mandatory Readings:

1. Waltz, Kenneth. Theory of International Politics. Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1979. Chapter 6.

2. Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization, No. 2 (1992): 391-425.

3. Aron, Raymond. Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations. New York: Routledge, 2017, pp. 47-57.

Supplementary Readings:

1. Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan or The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Common-Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill. London: Andrew Crooke, 1651. Chapter 10.

2. Machiavelli, Nicollo. The Prince. Translated by Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Chapter 10.

November 4 - Class 9: Alliances in International Relations: Why They Matter

Readings:

1. Walt, Stephen. “Alliance Formation and the Balance of Power.” International Security, no. 4 (Spring 1985): 3-43.

2. Walt, Stephen. The Origins of Alliances. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1987, pp. 1-49. Available at: https://web.stanford.edu/class/ips198/docs/Walt.pdf

3. Elefteriu, Gabriel. “Why Alliances Matter.” Council on Geostrategy (December 2023): 1-11. Available at: https://www.geostrategy.org.uk/app/uploads/2023/12/GSPE02.Why-alliances-matter.pdf

November 5 - Class 10: Cold War Diplomacy and International System

Readings:

1. Westad, Arne Odd. The Global Cold War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 8-39.

2. Williams, Phil. Crisis Management: Confrontation and Diplomacy in the Nuclear Age. London: Martin Robertson, 1976.

November 18 - Class 11: Post-Cold War Politics and Globalization

Readings:

1. Westad, Arne Odd. The Global Cold War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 364-96.

2. Sorensen, George.” IR Theory after the Cold War.” British International Studies Association (1998): 83-100. Available at: https://library.fes.de/libalt/journals/swetsfulltext/10398555.pdf

November 19 - Class 12: The EU as a Global Actor

Readings:

1. Andreatta, Filippo and Lorenzo Zambernardi. “The European Union and Theories of International Relations.” In Christopher Hill, Michael Smith, and Sophie Vanhoonacker, eds., International Relations and the European Union, pp. 46-63. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.

2. Ruggie, Gerard John, Peter Katzenstein, Robert O. Keohanepp, and Philippe C. Schmitter. “Transformations in World Politics: The Intellectual Contributions of Ernst B. Haas.” Annual Review of Political Science. Volume 8 (2005): 271-96 (pp. 277-87). Available at: https://pkatzenstein.org/data/annurev.polisci.8.082103.pdf

November 25 - Class 13: Student’s Presentation and Discussions

Power, Politics, and Alliance Formation in International Relations

Core Readings:

1. Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization, No. 2 (1992): 391-425.

2. Walt, Stephen. “Alliance Formation and the Balance of Power.” International Security, no. 4 (Spring 1985): 3-43.

3. Cha, Victor D. Powerplay. “Origins of the U.S. Alliance System in Asia.” International Security (34)3 (Winter 2009/2010): 158-96.

November 26 - Class 16: International Relations Theories and Realpolitik

Readings:

1. Williams, Michael C. The Realist Tradition and the Limits of International Relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2005. Chapter 2, pp. 52-82.

2. Rathbun, Brian. “The Rarity of Realpolitik. What Bismarck’s Rationality Reveals about International Politics.” International Security. MIT Press (43)1 (Summer 2018): 100-37. Available at: https://direct.mit.edu/isec/issue/43/1

December 2 - Class 15: International Organizations in International Politics

Readings:

1 Aron, Raymond. Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations. New York: Routledge, 2017, pp. 717-25.

2 Katzenstein, Peter, Robert O. Keohane, and Stephen D. Krasner. “International Organization and the Study of World Politics.” International Organization (52)4 (Autumn 1998): 645-85.

December 3 - Class 16: International Relations and Africa

Readings:

1. Nkiwane, Tandeka C. “Africa and International Relations: Regional Lessons for a Global Discourse.” International Political Science Review (22)3 (2001): 279-90.

December 9 - Class 17: Asia in Global Politics

Readings:

1. Katzenstein, Peter and Takashi Shiraishi. “Conclusion: Regions in World Politics: Japan and Asia-Germany in Europe.” In Takashi Shiraishi and Peter Katzenstein, eds., Network Power: Japan and Asia, pp. 341-81. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997.

December 10 - Class 18: The World After 2022 Ukraine War

Readings:

1. Lebow, Richard N. “International Relations Theory and the Ukrainian War.” Brill (44)1 (July 2022): 111-35.

December 16 - Class 19: A New World Order: China’s Perspective

Readings:

1. Bremmer, Ian. “China’s push for a new world order.” GZERO (September 2025). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iqUwxOnGIc

2. Zhang, Baohui. “China’s Rise and the New World Order.” In Brian McKercher, ed., The Routledge Handbook of Diplomacy and Statecraft, pp. 46-59. London: Routledge, 2022.

December 17 - Class 20: Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Teaching methods

The course is organized in two parts: lectures and student presentations. The selected approach requires mandatory readings for each class. Firstly, students are introduced to the topic of the day, with an opportunity for questions and interactive discussion. Secondly, during class, students learn, discuss, and evaluate the readings.

Additionally, students are required to write one essay following the Chicago Manual of Style (1200-1500 words) on a topic of their choice from the syllabus, and one article/book review to be presented in seminars. The book should be related to their master’s thesis or can be selected from the mandatory readings of the course. The essay will account for 25 percent of their grade, while the review will count for 45 percent of their final grade.

By writing essays, reviews, and making presentations, students will develop their ideas, enhance their analytical thinking, and improve both writing and public speaking skills. Their assignments will be evaluated, and they will receive written feedback to improve their writing skills. The final grade will be based on student attendance (at least 70 percent of the course), essay, the review, a written test, and an oral exam.

Office hours

See the website of Marine Sargsyan