Definitions of IR

o The term ‘international’ was used

by Jeromy Bentham in the later 18th
century with regards to defining the
relations between nation-states
o A restricted scope of IR confines its
focus to official relations and
excludes relations other than the
official from the purview of
international relations
o From a broader view, IR may refer
to all forms of interactions between
members of separate societies,
whether government sponsored or
not
What does the study
of IR imply?
o The study of IR includes
analysis of foreign policies or
political processes between
nations, and also focuses on
international trade and civil
society interaction
 Ingredients of IR
1. The nature and principal forces of
international organization
2. The political, social, economic
organization of political life
3. Elements of national power
4. Instruments available for promotion of
national interest
5. Limitation and control of national power
6. Foreign policies of major
powers and of smaller
(strategic) powers
7. Historical ingredients as a
background for other factors
 International Politics
vs. International
Relations
o IR is wider in scope than
international politics
o International politics focuses on
various styles of politics; politics of
violence, persuasion, hierarchical
policies and pluralistic politics
o IR embraces the totality of
relations among people and
groups of people in global society
 League of Nations
o WWI caused 20m deaths in 4 years
o First time there was global
consensus on need for collective
security and prevention of war
o Nations attempted to put to practice
the ideas of public voting by
diplomats in international
organizations; the rule of law; the
promise of disarmament and
foreign policies based on
disarmament
 Foreign Policy &
Diplomacy
o Foreign policies are based on
circumstantial variables as well as
contending theories, and a
comparison of ensued decisions-
making
o Diplomacy focuses on the
structures and instruments
available for diplomacy and the
changing scope of diplomatic
interaction
 International
Institutions in IR
o Contemporary international institutions
in which groups of states or other
actors can participate include INGOs
or the UN system
o EU, NATO, SAARC or ASEAN are
examples of regional grouping with
multiple functions