Introduction: The study of IR Flashcards
What is the defining problem of IR?
‘We’ vs ‘them’
What are three things collectives must have to survive?
Security
Economy
Identity
Who provides the three?
The government
What is Anarchy?
The absence of rule and authority
How can the interaction of collectives be defined?
No-one is above to protect security so anarchical system
What is the origional problemetique of IR?
Violence because it can deprive collectives of the three needs
Why is violence constant?
no one can stop violence due to international system of anarchy
What is the central study of IR?
War/violence
What is the normative objective of IR?
To try to reduce or stop war
1900
European domination
80% world economy
nations could turn on one another
European empires
Why was there a feeling of European superiority in the 1900s?
Europe was able to achive the necessary 3 but the rest of the world could not
1914-18
Industrial violence
Led to trench warfare
End of european superiority
How do you prevent war between European States?
Why was there an end to the feeling of euorpean superiority in the
Why would a superior nation do this? Would the British public continue to believe in empire?
The Normative Problem
Prior to WW2 people thought we must adopt liberal solutions to the problems of war.
We must build international institutions (the UN) to allow nations to work out differences without war.
Pursue the economic integration of the European State, the more nations work together, the less likely they are to go to war with eachother
