International Relations

Watch

• The Art of Diplomacy | Tayo Rockson | TEDxCooperUnion ↗TEDx Talks
• Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) | International Relations | By Dewashish ↗Current Affairs Updated
• Why the world's superpowers are racing to control the Arctic - BBC World Service ↗BBC World Service
• NATO - The largest military alliance in the world | DW Documentary ↗DW Documentary
• Globalization: Winners and losers in world trade (1/2) | DW Documentary ↗DW Documentary
• Three theories of Trump’s strategy for American power | DW Analysis ↗DW News

Read

• The Twenty Years' Crisis, 1919-1939 ↗A foundational critique of utopian idealism, this work starkly outlines the enduring power politics that shape international affairs.E.H. Carr
• Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical Analysis ↗Essential for understanding the root causes of conflict, it systematically categorises the levels of analysis in international relations.Kenneth N. Waltz
• After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy ↗A seminal work demonstrating how international institutions can foster cooperation even in the absence of a dominant power.Robert O. Keohane
• The Tragedy of Great Power Politics ↗A provocative exposition of offensive realism, arguing that states are perpetually driven to maximise power in an anarchic world.John J. Mearsheimer
• The Tragedy of the CommonsA concise, powerful essay illustrating the challenges of collective action and resource management in a shared environment.Garrett Hardin
• The Melian Dialogue (from History of the Peloponnesian War) ↗An ancient yet timeless exposition of raw power politics, demonstrating that "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."Thucydides

Voices to follow

• Joseph Nye ↗A seminal thinker on "soft power" and complex interdependence, his work illuminates the evolving nature of global influence beyond military might.University Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
• Graham Allison ↗Renowned for his "Thucydides Trap" concept, he offers incisive analysis on the perils of great power rivalry and the dynamics of strategic decision-making.Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard University
• Anne-Marie Slaughter ↗A leading voice on global governance, foreign policy, and the future of international cooperation, she advocates for a networked world order and challenges traditional state-centric views.CEO, New America; former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State
• John Mearsheimer ↗A prominent proponent of offensive realism, he provides a stark, often controversial, perspective on the inherent competition and security dilemmas driving state behaviour in an anarchic international system.R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago

Glossary

• AllianceAn alliance is an agreement between two or more countries to work together, often for mutual protection or to achieve a shared goal. It's like friends teaming up for a group project or to help each other out. For example, two countries might form a military alliance to defend each other if one is attacked.
• ConflictIn international relations, conflict refers to serious disagreements or disputes between countries, which can sometimes lead to arguments, economic problems, or even war. For example, two countries might have a conflict over who owns a certain piece of land.
• Country (or State)A country, also called a state in international relations, is a group of people living in a defined area with its own government that makes rules for them. For example, India is a country with its own government and borders.
• DiplomacyDiplomacy is the way countries talk and negotiate with each other to solve problems and build relationships, usually through official representatives called diplomats. For example, when India and another country discuss a trade deal, they are using diplomacy.
• Foreign PolicyForeign policy is a country's plan for how it will interact with other countries around the world. It covers things like trade, defense, and helping other nations. For example, India's foreign policy might include strengthening ties with neighboring countries and promoting peace.
• GlobalizationGlobalization means that countries and people around the world are becoming more connected and interdependent through trade, technology, and culture. It's like the world becoming a smaller, more interconnected village. For example, you can buy products made in different countries, or watch movies from across the globe, thanks to globalization.
• Human RightsHuman rights are the basic freedoms and protections that all people should have, no matter where they live or who they are. These rights are often recognized and protected by international agreements. For example, the right to education or the right to express your opinion are considered human rights.
• International OrganizationAn international organization is a group formed by several countries working together on common goals, like keeping peace or helping with health issues. For example, the United Nations (UN) is an international organization where countries discuss global problems and try to find solutions.
• SovereigntySovereignty means a country has the full power to govern itself without interference from other countries. It's like having complete control over your own house and making your own rules. For example, India's government can decide its own laws without another country telling it what to do.
• TreatyA treaty is a formal, written agreement between two or more countries that legally binds them to certain actions or rules. It's like a contract between nations. For example, a treaty might be signed by several countries to protect the environment or to agree on trade rules.

Threads 8

Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Translation Literature

  Right before Hiroshima, Japan's reply to a surrender demand used the word 'mokusatsu,' which can mean 'no comment' or 'we reject it.' Translators picked the harsh version, and the bomb followed. Between countries, one wrongly chosen word isn't a small slip, it can be the difference between peace and catastrophe.

• Biogeochemical Cycles Environment

  Every plant on Earth needs phosphorus, and there's no lab trick to make more of it. The catch: most of the world's supply sits under one country's desert. So a boring fertilizer ingredient could become the thing nations fight a war over.

• Networks & the Internet Technology

  Nobody is 'in charge' of the internet, yet billions of machines cooperate smoothly. Countries live the same way: there's no world government forcing them to get along. In both cases, order doesn't come from a boss, it comes from shared rules everyone chooses to follow because going along beats going it alone.

• Biosecurity & Engineered Threats Global Risks

  If someone unleashed an engineered plague, you couldn't easily tell it apart from a natural outbreak, just like you often can't trace who launched an anonymous cyberattack. And if you don't know who hit you, who do you strike back at? An unattributable disease erases the return address, and the usual logic of 'don't attack me or I'll retaliate' just collapses.

• Planetary Boundaries Environment

  There's only one atmosphere, and no world police to protect it. Any single country can pump out carbon or dump nitrogen and wreck the shared budget, but nobody can force the others to stop. That's the hardest problem in group cooperation: a thing everyone needs, that everyone can ruin, and no one can guard.

• Oceans & Marine Systems Environment

  The open ocean is the biggest place on Earth that no country actually rules. That makes it a real-world experiment: can rules exist when there's no boss to enforce them? The answer so far is discouraging, which is exactly why fish get scooped up far faster than nations can agree on treaties to protect them.

• Cybercrime Law Law

  To scare an enemy off, you need to know who hit you so you can hit back. Cyberattacks are hard to trace, so a country can strike and stay hidden. That breaks the fear-of-payback that kept enemies from attacking each other for decades.

• Autonomous Weapons Technology

  Going to war is scary partly because your own soldiers might die, and voters hate that. But if drones and robots fight instead, that fear shrinks. Cheaper, bloodless-for-you war makes leaders far quicker to start one.