IR 201
International Relations Theory
Meltem Müftüler-Bac
Course Description: International Relations Theory surveys basic concepts and processes in
international relations. The course presents competing theoretical perspectives; (neo) realism,
(neo) liberalism, and constructivism with a special understanding of international politics. The
course will be based upon a thorough analysis of the processes and theories of international
relations. The external and internal processes that affect nation-states will be identified within a
multi-disciplinary approach. The course intends to furnish students with basic skills and tools of
international relations theory, therefore it is a foundation course for further study in international
relations.
Text: There is one textbook for the course and some additional readings.
Paul Viotti and Mark Kauppi, International Relations Theory 5th edition
Those interested in international relations could also check the following websites:
International Studies Association: http://www.isanet.org
European Consortium for Political research: http://www.ecprnet.org
Schedule of Readings:
Week 1: Introduction to international relations, trends, concepts, levels and actors. Images of
International Relations,
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations, Chapter 1, pp.1-19.
Week 2: Science of International relations, theoretical debates in IR, What is a theory? Is there a
theory of international relations? Assumptions and theories
 James Rosenau, “Thinking Theory thoroughly’, in Viotti and Kauppi, International
Relations theory, pp. 19-26- reprint The Scientific Study of Foreign Policy, Frances Pinter,
1980
 Thomas C. Walker, “The Perils of Paradigm Mentalities: Revisiting Kuhn, Lakatos, and
Popper”, in Viotti and Kauppi, pp. 27-36.
Week 3: The evolution of the modern world system, the Westphalian order,
 James Caporaso, “Changes in the Westphalian order: Territory, Public authority and
Sovereignty” International Studies Review, special issue on the Westphalian order, 2000,
pp.1-28. (Blackwell online).
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E.H. Carr, “The Nature of Politics” in Viotti and Kauppi.
Week 4: Classical Realism and power, philosophical origins of power
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory,Ch.2, pp.39-54.
 Thucydides, “the Melian Dialogue” in Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations pp.83-87,
 Niccolo Machiavelli, “On princes and security of their states”, pp.88-90,
 Thomas Hobbes, “the Natural condition of Mankind’ pp.90-93. Power, measuring power
and different forms of power,
Week 5: Realism and the levels of Analysis and war: individual, state and system levels.
 Kenneth Waltz, “Explaining War”, in Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory,
pp.96-109.
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory, Ch.2, pp.54-70.
Week 6: The international system, neorealism, balance of power, and the structure
Distinction between hard power capabilities and soft power capabilities
 Joseph Nye, “Hard and Soft Power”, in Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory,
pp. 109-117.
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory, Ch.2, pp.70-82.
Week 7: Liberalism, pluralism. Transactionalism, functionalism and integration.
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory, ch.3, pp.129-144.
 Michael Doyle, “Liberalism and World Politics”, American Political Science Review,
vol.80, no.4, 1986, pp.1151-1169.
Week 8: Democratic peace and domestic sources of war domestic sources of international
relations and 2nd image reversed.
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory, pp.144-164.
 Robert Putnam, "Diplomacy and domestic politics, the logic of two-level games",
International Organization, vol.42, no.3, 1988, pp.427-660. (JSTOR)
Week 9: Liberal Theory of International relations, domestic-foreign linkages
 Andrew Moravcsik, “Taking preferences seriously: A Liberal Theory of International
Politics”, International Organization, vol.51, no.4, 1997, pp.513-553.
Week 10: Interdependence, international regimes, and cooperation, patterns of global governance
 Katzenstein, Peter J.; Keohane, Robert O. and Krasner, Stephen D., 1998, "International
Organization and the Study of World Politics", International Organization 52: 645-686
Week 11: Neoliberal institutionalism, international cooperation
 Viotti and Kauppi, International relations theory, pp. 147-149
 Robert Keohane, “Beyond the Tragedy of the Commons” in Viotti and Kauppi,
International relations theory, pp.176-177
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Week 12: International cooperation with Mitrany, the European integration process
 David Mitrany, ”A Working Peace System”, in The European Union edited by Brent F.
Nelsen and Alexander C.G. Stubb, London: Lynne Reiner, 2003, pp.99-121.
Weeks 13 and 14: Globalist approaches to international relations, International political economy,
the North and South Gap, the issue of development,
 Viotti and Kauppi, International Relations Theory, Ch.4, pp.189-215.
 Immanuel Wallerstein, “The Modern World System as a Capitalist World Economy” in
Viotti and Kauppi
Recommended Readings in International Relations
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James Dougherty and Robert Pfaltgraff, Contending Theories of International Relations,
NY, Longman, 2001.
Hans Morgenthau, Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, Macgraw
Hill, 1948.
E.H.Carr, The Twenty Years’ crisis, New York: Harper, 1964.
Steve Smith, “The USA and Discipline of International Relations: Hegemonic Country,
Hegemonic discipline”, International Studies Review, vol.4, no.2, Summer 2002, pp. 67-87.
(Blackwell online)
Kenneth Waltz, “International Politics is not Foreign Policy”, Security Studies, 1996, vol.6,
pp.54-57.
Inis Claude, Power and International Relations, New York: Random house, 1962.
Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics, New York: McGraw Hill, 1979.
Francis Beer and Robert Harriman, Post-Realism: The rhetorical turn in International
Relations, Michigan state univ.press, 1996.
David Baldwin, Neorealism and neoliberalism: The Contemporary debate, Columbia
University press, 1993.
Barry Buzan et al, Logic of Anarchy: Neorealism to Structural Realism, NY: Columbia
University press, 1993.
Robert Keohane, Power and Governance in a Partially globalized world, London,
Routledge, 2002.
Stephen Krasner, Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy, New Jersey: Princeton University
press, 1999.
Robert Keohane, Power and Governance in a Partially globalized world, London,
Routledge, 2002.
Stephen Krasner, Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy, New Jersey: Princeton University
press, 1999.
Alexander Wendt, Social Theory of International Relations, Cambridge, 1999.
John Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, Norton and Company, 2001.
Peter Katzenstein (ed.), The Culture of National Security, New York: Columbia University
Press, 1996.
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Bull, Hedley, 1977, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics, New
York: Columbia University Press.
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