Introduction To International Relations

International Relations for beginners: history, theories, states, sovereignty, war, peace, int. organisations, economy

What you'll learn
Understand what we mean by the subject of International Relations
Understand why International Relations is about global organization of political authority
Learn the history of the International Relations discipline
Understand the Great Debates of International Relations
Learn about the key books, magazines and websites on International Relations
Understand what theory is about
Recognise the differences between explanatory, predictive and normative theories
Understand 3 levels of analysis
Learn the key tenets of classical liberalism and neo-liberalism
Learn the key tenets of classical realism and neo-realism
Learn the key tenets of social constructivism and feminism
Understand how the system of modern statehood has evolved
Learn about international relations in Medieval Europe
Recognise the importance of the The Peace of Augsburg and Treaty of Westphalia for modern statehood
Understand how International Relations look differently from the Chinese perspective
Learn about war and the causes of war
Learn about different theoretical ideas for international peace
Understand the role of League of Nations and United Nations in international peace
Understand the role of European integration in international peace
Learn about the International Political Economy and Bretton Woods institutions
Understand the differences between Liberalism, Realism and Marxism in Int. Political Economy
Learn about competing theoretical perspectives on globalisation
Learn about the impact of COVID-19 on nationalism and globalisation
Requirements
The course is designed for beginners and therefore does not require prior education in Politics or International Relations.
No upfront reading is necessary. In the course, students will learn about some of the most influential books on each topic.
For convenience, handouts for each lecture are provided and can be downloaded.
Description
This course will introduce you to the discipline of International Relations. Whether you are a student or just someone interested in what International Relations is about, this course will carefully guide you through the basics of this fascinating academic discipline. The course is ideal for beginners with no prior university education because it allows you to understand the basics of the discipline. Although it is designed for beginners, the course will give you confidence to speak about International Relations with much greater confidence. You will understand the history of International Relations as a discipline as well as the major theories of IR. You will also learn about theory as such - what it is and different kinds of theories. Equipped with this fundamental knowledge, you will then explore the key topics forming the core of International Relations at any university: the evolution of sovereign states states, the causes of war and conflictthe struggle for peace and international organisationsinternational political economySure, there are many other topics which could be covered under the label International Relations, but this course is designed as a complete introduction to give you solid knowledge and understanding of the core elements of this fascinating discipline.What You Will Get in This CourseHere is a summary of what you will learn in this course:Understand what we mean by the subject of International RelationsUnderstand why International Relations is about global organisation of political authorityLearn the history of the International Relations disciplineUnderstand the Great Debates of International RelationsLearn about the key books, magazines and websites on International RelationsUnderstand what theory is aboutRecognise the differences between explanatory, predictive and normative theoriesUnderstand 3 levels of analysisLearn the key tenets of classical liberalism and neoliberalismLearn the key tenets of classical realism and neorealismLearn the key tenets of social constructivism and feminismUnderstand how the system of modern statehood has evolvedLearn about international relations in Medieval EuropeRecognise the importance of the Peace of Augsburg and Peace of Westphalia for modern statehoodUnderstand how International Relations look differently from the Chinese perspectiveLearn about war and the causes of warLearn about different theoretical ideas for international peaceUnderstand the role of League of Nations and United Nations in international peaceUnderstand the role of European integration in international peaceLearn about the International Political Economy and Bretton Woods institutionsUnderstand the differences between Liberalism, Realism and Marxism in Int. Political EconomyLearn about competing theoretical perspectives on globalisationLearn about the impact of COVID-19 on nationalism and globalisationMy Promise to YouI promise that the tuition in this course is of the highest quality, based on genuine university-level teaching and research. It is presented in a highly-accessible and engaging way, designed specifically for those who do not have prior university degree in Politics or International Relations.I invite you to send me a message if you have any questions about the content of this course. With the 30-day 100% money back guarantee, there is no reason why you should not try the course out right now.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 What to Expect in this Course

Lecture 2 What You Will Learn

Lecture 3 How You Will Learn

Lecture 4 About the Author

Section 2: What is International Relations?

Lecture 5 Definitions of International Relations

Lecture 6 The Organisation of Political Authority

Lecture 7 The Impact of Political Authority

Lecture 8 International Relations: Brexit and COVID-19

Lecture 9 International Relations: China, Conflicts and Climate Change

Section 3: The History of International Relations

Lecture 10 Historical Background: World War I

Lecture 11 The Birth of International Relations Pt. 1

Lecture 12 The Birth of International Relations Pt. 2

Lecture 13 The First Great Debate: Idealism

Lecture 14 The First Great Debate: Realism

Lecture 15 IR Expansion after World War II

Lecture 16 The Second Great Debate

Lecture 17 Classical Approach to IR Explained

Lecture 18 The Third Great Debate

Lecture 19 Resources in International Relations

Section 4: Thinking Theoretically about International Relations

Lecture 20 What is a Theory?

Lecture 21 Explanatory Theories

Lecture 22 Predictive Theories

Lecture 23 Normative Theories

Lecture 24 Levels of Analysis

Section 5: Theories of International Relations

Lecture 25 Classical Realism

Lecture 26 Morgenthau on Realism

Lecture 27 Structural Realism (Neo-realism)

Lecture 28 Mearsheimer on Offensive Neo-realism

Lecture 29 Classical Liberalism Pt. 1

Lecture 30 Classical Liberalism Pt. 2

Lecture 31 Angell on International Anarchy

Lecture 32 Neo-liberal institutionalism

Lecture 33 Keohane on Information in IR

Lecture 34 Social Constructivism Pt 1

Lecture 35 Social Constructivism Pt 2

Lecture 36 The EU and Climate Security

Lecture 37 Feminism

Lecture 38 Tickner's on Feminism in IR

Section 6: The Evolution of Inter-state Relations

Lecture 39 The System of Sovereign States

Lecture 40 Holy Roman Empire and Church in Medieval Europe

Lecture 41 Political Life in Medieval Europe

Lecture 42 The Emergence of Modern States

Lecture 43 Religious Wars and Modern States

Lecture 44 The Peace of Augsburg

Lecture 45 The Peace of Westphalia

Lecture 46 The Key Elements of Peace of Westphalia

Lecture 47 Chinese State System

Section 7: The Causes of War

Lecture 48 What is War?

Lecture 49 Hedley Bull on What is War

Lecture 50 Thomas Hobbes on War

Lecture 51 Thucydides on War

Lecture 52 War in Classical Realism

Lecture 53 War in Neorealism

Lecture 54 War in Liberalism

Lecture 55 What Causes War?

Section 8: The Quest for International Peace

Lecture 56 Peace as the Purpose of International Relations

Lecture 57 Peace through the Balance of Power

Lecture 58 Waltz on the Balance of Power

Lecture 59 Balance of Power and the Cold War

Lecture 60 Peace through Collective Security

Lecture 61 Collective Security and the League of Nations

Lecture 62 League of Nations Covenant

Lecture 63 Collective Security and the United Nations

Lecture 64 The Purpose of the United Nations

Lecture 65 Peace through European Integration

Section 9: International Political Economy

Lecture 66 Bretton Woods: World Bank

Lecture 67 Bretton Woods: International Monetary Fund

Lecture 68 Bretton Woods: World Trade Organisation

Lecture 69 Liberal Approach to International Political Economy

Lecture 70 Adam Smith and The Wealth of Nations

Lecture 71 Realist Approach to International Political Economy

Lecture 72 John Mearsheimer and American Hegemony

Lecture 73 Marxist Approach to International Political Economy

Lecture 74 Lenin on Capitalism and Imperialism

Lecture 75 Approaches to Globalisation

Lecture 76 On Economic Inequality

Lecture 77 COVID-19 and Globalisation

Section 10: Bonus: Discount Coupons

Lecture 78 Bonus Lecture: Discount Coupons

Individuals interested in International Relations and the problems of international politics.,Students of Politics and International Relations who want to consolidate their knowledge and improve their grades.,Commentators, bloggers and journalists covering international politics.,Policy practitioners who want to improve their analytical skills and better understand the context of their policy activities.