Lecture notes: The world stage and its actors

Terminology

“international relations”
“international politics”
the state
the nation

Alternative units — alternative models:

empires
stateless societies
networks of states

I’ll talk a bit about these alternatives later in the course (but not so much).

The origin of the state and the state system

summarize the argument from my article

the difference with the medieval world

addition of the nation to the state

Matters of ontology

a way to model relations between states
the role of metaphors
the idea of a stage
appearing on the state as an actor
who represents the state — the king

The level of analysis problem

individual
group
state
system

The individual level

how to explain war, for example (cf. Waltz)

“minds of men” approach to international politics — UNESCO and human needs

cf. the difference between international politics and foreign policy
explanation in terms of the motives of individual actors

people to people view — everyone is just trying to get ahead —

international conflicts are a result of misunderstandings
you can clearly fight wars without being personally angry at other people

a minds of men approach is not enough

“psychological events are not the whole stuff out of which international politics is formed. If they were, the political scientist would have to leave the field for the psychologist.”

The state level

policies are pursued in the name of states, not individuals

decision-making approach to foreign policy
focus on how decisions actually are made

Graham Allison etc

limitations of the “unified actor” approach
US decision making in Hiroshima — Japanese decision-makers during WW2

people identify with their states, nations, and their goals

consider what the state does — issues of personification
consider the state as an arena for actions of individuals and groups
reification of the state
cf. membership in the UN

questioning the “unitary state” — personification of the state — the state as actor

the notion of “state interests”

rational actor approach

the state as example
individuals as example

logic of the situation explanations

the house on fire

On the ontological status of the state

where and what is the state?
impossible to actually find …

The systemic level

anarchy

explain
all the implications that come from this …

polarity

various versions of “polarity”
their consequences for international politics

Alternative conceptions of the system

vs. “transnational politics” — “world politics”

green politics
feminism
De Waal on animals as included too!
globalization
social media
and obviously economic relations

The spread of the state system

successful states

failed states

this weeks news …

The world stage

Many kings in early modern Europe danced, often on a miniature version of the world stage.

Devetak, Why does the state matter

The formal equivalence of states in international organizations.

states vary a lot

many are well organized
others not at all

states establish and maintain political order

wars fought in the national interest

questions of justifiability

colonialism and violence in Australia

do different states behave differently in international relations?

is the state adequate to today’s problems?

Activities: History of the conflict in Palestine

Palestine census, 1922

Read at Internet Archive