International relations

Classical Thinkers and Current Events

Module code: L2014N
Level 4
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Class, Lecture
Assessment modes: Coursework

Do the origins of International Relations lie in a desire to create peace after WWI, or a desire to maintain imperial control over former colonies?
Are foreign policies justified through the ‘ancient’ wisdom of long dead writers?
How can reading classical political theorists lead to innovative new ideas?

On this module, you will:

• engage with classical thinkers such as Confucius, Hobbes, Kautilya, Aquinas, Ibn Khaldun, and many others
• relate classical thought to contemporary events like Terrorism and Just War, the Rise of China, Humanitarian Intervention, Black Lives Matter, the Clash of Civilisations
• demonstrate how the use of classical authors today allows us to learn something about contemporary international affairs, and provides us with the means to critique these policies and to develop alternatives.

You will develop skills in:

• textual analysis
• working in a group
• writing a research paper.

Module learning outcomes

• Develop an overview of the theoretical foundations of the IR discipline
• Acquire an understanding of the intellectual problems associated with the analysis and interpretation of primary texts
• Engage with the problems of evaluating the contemporary relevance of historical texts
• Develop further the intellectual, practical and transferable skills encouraged by the mode of teaching