Introduction to International Politics

At the end of this course, the student should have familiarised with a series of ongoing discussions concerning the nature of international politics, both in its theoretical articulation and in its several sectorial dimensions. International political theory will be introduced through an analysis of the ma-jor schools of thoughts providing a definition of what international politics is about (ontology) and how it is supposed to be studied (epistemology). For this initial part (Lectures 1-7), the students will become familiar with the concepts of realism, Realpolitik, anarchy, power, national interest, zero-sum-game, relative vs. absolute gain, polarity, globalisation, sphere of influence, intervention, human rights, emancipation. A second group of four lectures introduces specific sub-disciplines and study fields in international politics, dealing with geopolitics, international political economy, international organisation, and international environmental issues. Student will become acquaint-ed with the influence that geography exercises on the life of political communities, and how much of international political debates and struggles revolve around the position of a certain state within the economic architecture of the globe. International organisations will be illustrated as the key component of a highly interconnected world in need of governance structures, however tenuous. A strong emphasis will be put on environmental questions, particularly climate change, and the student will familiarise with the specific difficulties characterising environment protection in a glob-alised world with high levels of resource competition.