IR Notes:
Week 1:
Jackson/Sørensen/Møller, Chap 1:
International Relations: The study of relationships and interactions between countries,
including the activities and policies of national governments, international organizations
(IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MCNs).
Independent Nation or State: unambiguous and bordered territory, with a permanent
population, under the jurisdiction of supreme government that is constitutionally separate
from all foreign governments: a sovereign state.
IR from 16th – 17th century when sovereign states based on adjacent territories were
initially established. Only territory that isn’t a state is Antarctica.
5 basic values uphold by state: security, freedom, order, justice and welfare.
States can both defend and threaten security => “security dilemma”: State presents
problems as well as providing solutions. Other issue: national security: military power is
usually considered a necessity so that states can coexists and deal with each other without
being intimidated or subjugated; also, alliances.
Freedom: we cannot be free unless our state is free. IR can be characterized as a world in
which the states cooperate with one another to maintain peace and freedom and pursue
progressive change.
Common interest of states for international order for stability, certainty and predictability
of interactions => international laws, diplomatic relations, international organizations.
International Society theories: assumption that international relations can be best
characterized as a world in which states are socially responsible actors and have a common
interest in preserving international order and promoting international justice.
Economic interdependence, meaning a high degree of mutual economic dependence among
countries, is a striking feature of the contemporary state system.
➔ Good thing: increases overall freedom and wealth, as well as participation,
specialization, efficiency and productivity.
➔ Bad thing: promote inequality: rich and powerful dominate poor and weak.
National protectionism considered preferable: the best way to respond to financial and
economic crises which periodically disrupt the world economy
Theory of IR: operates on the as- sumption that international relations can best be
characterized as a fundamentally socioeco- nomic world and not merely a political and
military world. (Gilpin 1987)
People get aware of the 5 values when those values are found threatened.
,States and the state system are such basic features of modern political life, that it is easy to
assume that they are permanent features: that they have always been and always will be
present.
FALSE!! State system is a social organization, it doesn’t come from nature or God.
It has advantages and disadvantages, but it is not necessary or human life
State hasn’t always existed: most common before was empire. The future my not happen in
a state either. State might be given up like city)-states, feudalism, colonialism …
,Relations between political groups are built on a fundamental distinction between our
collective selves and other collective selves in a territorial world of many such separate
collective selves in contact with each other.
Preliminary definition of a state system: it stands for relations between politically
organized human groupings which occupy distinctive ter- ritories, are not under any higher
authority or power, and enjoy and exercise a measure of independence from each other.
Ancient Greece: system of many city-states.
, From the middle of the seventeenth century, states were seen as the only legitimate polit-
ical systems of Europe, based on their own separate territories, their own independent gov-
ernments, and their own political subjects. Prominent characteristics:
- adjoining states whose legit- imacy and independence was mutually recognized.
- recognition of states did not extend outside of the European state system.
Week 1:
Jackson/Sørensen/Møller, Chap 1:
International Relations: The study of relationships and interactions between countries,
including the activities and policies of national governments, international organizations
(IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MCNs).
Independent Nation or State: unambiguous and bordered territory, with a permanent
population, under the jurisdiction of supreme government that is constitutionally separate
from all foreign governments: a sovereign state.
IR from 16th – 17th century when sovereign states based on adjacent territories were
initially established. Only territory that isn’t a state is Antarctica.
5 basic values uphold by state: security, freedom, order, justice and welfare.
States can both defend and threaten security => “security dilemma”: State presents
problems as well as providing solutions. Other issue: national security: military power is
usually considered a necessity so that states can coexists and deal with each other without
being intimidated or subjugated; also, alliances.
Freedom: we cannot be free unless our state is free. IR can be characterized as a world in
which the states cooperate with one another to maintain peace and freedom and pursue
progressive change.
Common interest of states for international order for stability, certainty and predictability
of interactions => international laws, diplomatic relations, international organizations.
International Society theories: assumption that international relations can be best
characterized as a world in which states are socially responsible actors and have a common
interest in preserving international order and promoting international justice.
Economic interdependence, meaning a high degree of mutual economic dependence among
countries, is a striking feature of the contemporary state system.
➔ Good thing: increases overall freedom and wealth, as well as participation,
specialization, efficiency and productivity.
➔ Bad thing: promote inequality: rich and powerful dominate poor and weak.
National protectionism considered preferable: the best way to respond to financial and
economic crises which periodically disrupt the world economy
Theory of IR: operates on the as- sumption that international relations can best be
characterized as a fundamentally socioeco- nomic world and not merely a political and
military world. (Gilpin 1987)
People get aware of the 5 values when those values are found threatened.
,States and the state system are such basic features of modern political life, that it is easy to
assume that they are permanent features: that they have always been and always will be
present.
FALSE!! State system is a social organization, it doesn’t come from nature or God.
It has advantages and disadvantages, but it is not necessary or human life
State hasn’t always existed: most common before was empire. The future my not happen in
a state either. State might be given up like city)-states, feudalism, colonialism …
,Relations between political groups are built on a fundamental distinction between our
collective selves and other collective selves in a territorial world of many such separate
collective selves in contact with each other.
Preliminary definition of a state system: it stands for relations between politically
organized human groupings which occupy distinctive ter- ritories, are not under any higher
authority or power, and enjoy and exercise a measure of independence from each other.
Ancient Greece: system of many city-states.
, From the middle of the seventeenth century, states were seen as the only legitimate polit-
ical systems of Europe, based on their own separate territories, their own independent gov-
ernments, and their own political subjects. Prominent characteristics:
- adjoining states whose legit- imacy and independence was mutually recognized.
- recognition of states did not extend outside of the European state system.
