Topics Covered:
- Definition and Scope of IR
- The Nation-State System
- The Evolution of International Society
The term “International” relations was coined by Jeremy Bentham which appeared in his book Principles of morals and legislation in 1789. The field of International Relations dates from the time of the Greek historian Thucydides. The Ancient Sumerian city-sates started in 3500 BC, as the first fully-fledged international system. The modern International Relations based on sovereign states dates back to peace of Westphalia of 1648. IR is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of the interaction of state and non-state actors in international politics. IR is a discipline, which tries to explain political activities across state boundaries, said, Trevor Taylor. The scope of IR is in constant flux; indeed, IR is a field whose fluctuation is one of its principle characteristics, said, Stanley Hoffman.
IR today is in its infancy, its mixture of philosophy and history and its theories are shockingly unstable, said Organ ski. The first chair in IR was established at the university of Wales UK in 1919.
The Nation-State System
The nation state system is modern system of states which emerged as a result of Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. The nation state system is established on the principle that people living in state should share history, language, territory, nationality, religion and culture. The expression nation state was firstly used in 1918.
A state is a political and geo-political entity, while a nation is a cultural and ethnic one.
A state refers to a legal/political entity comprised of following: a) permanent population b) a defined territory c) a stable government and d) capacity to enter into relations.
The five basic social values of state are: security, freedom, order, justice and welfare.
The Evolution of International Society (CSS IR)
International society is association of distinct political communities that accept common rules, values, and institutions. The international society emerged as the result of protestant reformation and exploration and colonization of the new world. The Catholic Church also helped to constitute the normative basis of International Society (IS). The Elements of IS can be found in Medieval Christian Europe, Medieval Islam and Ancient China.
Present day, IS is regulated by diplomacy, law and the balance of power.
The French and American revolutions created new challenges to IS by raising the issue of nationalism and they also led to creation of concert of Europe.
Presently, the globalization has posed many challenges to IS, such as global warming, American power and dissolution of the bonds of political community.
