A list of readings that connect to discussions in my Introduction to International Relations course

If links are broken, please contact me.
What is International Relations?

Thucydides (431 BCE). History of the Peloponnesian War. 
One of the original readings of Western international relations theory. Below is a helpful review of the book.
Moylan, T.  (2013).  Review – History of the Peloponnesian War. E-International Relations.

Grotius, H (1901 edition). The Rights of War and Peace. 
A foundational work in international law that explores the ethical and legal dimensions of war. Grotius argued for a common law among nations, emphasizing the need to regulate war to mitigate its destructive effects. Below is a helpful review of the key ideas in the book.
Kenney, C (2015). Hugo Grotius, The Law of War and Peace (1625). Classics of Strategic Diplomacy.
Historical Background

Lenin, V.I. (1918). Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Marxists Internet Archive.
A communist critique of World War I, still discussed today in the context of war and capitalism. The Revolutionary Communists of American have a good reading guide. 

Wilson, W (1918). Fourteen Points. January 8 presidential address to Congress.
​In this January 8, 1918, speech on War Aims and Peace Terms, President Wilson set down 14 points as a blueprint for world peace that was to be used for peace negotiations after World War I. Here is an overview from the National World War I Museum.

Churchill, W. (1946). The Sinews of Peace. Speech in Fulton, Mo.
“The Sinews of Peace,” the title Churchill himself gave his address, endures today as one of the statesman's most significant speeches. It not only made the term “iron curtain” a household phrase, but it coined the term “special relationship,” describing enduring alliance between the United States and Great Britain. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). United Nations Document. 
Established a global standard for human dignity, equality, and justice after World War II. It has shaped international norms, influenced treaties and national laws, and continues to guide diplomatic efforts and human rights advocacy worldwide.

Central Intelligence Agency (1994). CIA Cold War records.
International Relations Theories 

Stivachtis, Y (2018). Introducing the English School in International Relations Theory. E-International Relations.
The English School of International Relations (IR) offers a holistic approach to understanding international politics, incorporating elements of realism and liberalism. It emphasizes the concepts of the international system, international society, and world society to provide a more comprehensive view than theories focused solely on specific aspects of IR. Below is a widely cited scholarly article on the subject.
Buzan, B. (2001). The English School: An Underexploited Resource in IR. Review of International Studies, 27(3), 471–488. 
Realism
Donelly, J. (2000). Realism in International Relations. Oxford University Press

Fernandes, V. R. (2016). Idealism and realism in international relations: An ontological debate. Revista de Filosofia Moderna e Contemporânea, 4(8), 17–34.
​Liberalism
Recchia, S. (2011). Liberalism in international relations. In B. Badie, D. Berg-Schlosser, & L. Morlino (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Political Science. 

Kant, I. (1795). Perpetual peace: A philosophical sketch (M. Campbell Smith, Trans.). Project Gutenberg. 

Jahn, B. (2018). Liberal internationalism: Historical trajectory and current prospects. International Affairs, 94(1), 43–61
Constructivism
Zehfuss, M. (2002). Constructivism in international relations: The politics of reality. Cambridge University Press. 

Adler, E. (2002). Constructivism and international relations. In W. Carlsnaes, T. Risse, & B. A. Simmons (Eds.), Handbook of International Relations. Sage Publications

Jung, H. (2019). The evolution of social constructivism in political science: Past to present. SAGE Open, 9(1), 1–10.
Feminism
Duriesmith, D., & Meger, S. (2020). Returning to the root: Radical feminist thought and feminist theories of international relations. Review of International Studies, 46(3), 357–375.

Enloe, C. (1990). Bananas, beaches and bases: Making feminist sense of international politics. University of California Press. 

Bruce, S., & Smits, K. (Eds.). (2016). Feminist moments: Reading feminist texts. Bloomsbury Academic.
Marxism
Post-Colonialism
Foreign Policy Analysis
International Political Economy
Security and Conflict
International Law and Human Rights
Country, State, and Nation
Environmental Issues
Proudly powered by Weebly