Chapter 1 : What Is International Relations

Question 1

What is IR ? (Def)

Answer 1

=> the study of the interaction of states in the international system.
=> it involves looking at security issues, economic issues, foreign policies, human rights, global governance..
=> it is composed of many actors (NGOs ; corporations..) and many fields (culture, identity, ethnicities..)

Question 2

What is a nation ? (Def)

Answer 2

=> community of people who share a common sense of identity (may be based on language, identity, ethnicity..)

Question 3

What is a nation state ?

Answer 3

=> the geographical confines of a state, it is not necessarily a nation as it can represent ≠ nations
EX : the Kurdish have a strong desire for an independent state

Question 4

What is a state ?

Answer 4

=> formal legal territory composed of a stable population and a government
=> it possesses a monopoly over the legitimate use of force that only the state may introduce
=> its sovereignty is recognized by other states in a formal manner in the Unat system (treaties..)

Question 5

What is sovereignty (def)

Answer 5

=> the condition of a state having control over its own territory and being free from any higher legal authority => a state is able to make its own decisions in the desired areas
EX : EU was a violat° of England sovereignty = Brexit
EX : France has sovereignty BUT must abide by the rules of EU (it re-shuffle the idea of sovereignty)

=> states expect to have no interferences in their activity and they enact autonomy freely
EX : France can go against decisions made by the E Court of Human Rights => must pay a fee (loophole)

Question 6

What is ontology ? And epistemology ?

Answer 6

=> actors and states have a certain worldview of what their place is on IR
=> they have a specific theory of knowledge

Question 7

What are the ≠ levels of analysis used by scholars ?

Answer 7

=> individuals : emphasis on leader
=> Domestic/national context : history of the country, people..
=> state’s act° within the international system : role
=> global assessment : what would be the outcome ? Transcends the systemic approach = make predict°

Question 8

How is currently the IR system ?

Answer 8

=> GLOBALIZED IR system which no longer relies on polarization (bipo. URSS/US and unipo. US) but a MULTIPOLAR system

Question 9

Why are we currently in a globalized and multipolar IR system ? (6)

Answer 9

=> instantaneous/free communicat° between states
=> accelerat° of eco and scientific transformation
=> collapse of time/space : no impact on states decisions
=> global cosmopolitan culture (US culture hegemony)
=> new global po system : transfer of allegiance = more dependent
=> global recognition that the risks to humanity today are not only local/regional (are states adequately equipped ? No = need new institutions/structures/UN reforms VS Yes : need to return to regional/local powers)

Question 10

Why should we care about IR ?

Answer 10

=> we are embedded in this process without our own will
=> we are still going to be affected by what happens even though it happens abroad
=> we can change things even though we think we can’t

Question 11

Why can we say that historical events shaped IR ?

Answer 11

=> after colonizat° : always strive for «never again» => understand the legacy of exploitation => need to help the countries formerly colonized
=> this was socially constructed = NOW states interact + make rules + regulations that creates outcomes

Question 12

The Peace of Westphalia

Answer 12

• 1648 Germany
  => one of the 1st Unat treaties on corporation
  => overcoming destruc° of religious wars : monarchs wanted to regain control over religious affairs
  => goal : end Catholics/protestant conflicts + retain their powers and put all the states on an equal basis => BALANCE OF PWR instead of hegemony
  => resulted in €pan colonialism

Question 13

What do some scholars say about IR treaties ?

Answer 13

=> the most important treaties come after a huge catastrophe on an international scale

Question 14

European colonialism

Answer 14

=> European no longer spent money on fighting each other but fighting abroad
=> increased eco powers
=> peace stability allowed to discover countries (exploitation of ressources) = thanks to technology
=> established a global political hierarchy = hegemony of the North (negative approach)
=> resulted in the creation of artificial borders ≠ and imposed by colonizers EX England last colony 1998 : basically «yesterday»

Question 15

The WW of the 20th century ?

Answer 15

=> total wars (involved civilians, industry, states..)
=> technology led to an enhanced capacity to inflict violence
=> resulted in good things : Society of nation/League of Nations Wilson => didn’t work out + creation of UN
=> emergence of the idea of Human rights + decolonization movement

Question 16

The Cold War ?

Answer 16

=> based on a bipolar system (USSR/US)
=> nuclear bomb was on the scene
=> ideological + military confrontation => PROXY WARS
=> it shaped every decision made in IR from the 40’s to the 90’s
=> MAD : Mutually assured destruction

Question 17

9/11 and terrorism ?

Answer 17

=> contradicted : Fukuyama, the end of history
=> history never ends = always a recipient of what we sow
=> shifted international scholars focus on what came to be known as «failed states» = threat to war peace

Question 18

Conclusion of the chapter ?

Answer 18

=> history matters since it has effects on our contemporary lives
=> cannot deny that progress has been made (UN/EU institutions)
=> the IR history has drawn our attention toward the importance of people and not just of the states (saving cultures/languages and nit just lives)