A History of International Relations Theory: Third Edition

By Torbjørn L. Knutsen

Book Overview

This introduction to International Relations theory, now in its third edition, shows how discussions of war, wealth, peace and power stretch back well over 500 years. It shows how ancient ideas still effect the way we perceive world politics. By placing international arguments, perspectives, terms and theories in their proper historical setting, it traces the evolution of International Relations theory in context.

Beginning with the emergence of the territorial state in the Middle Ages, the book follows the international ideas of sages, statesmen and scholars. It discusses early theories about the sovereign nature of the state. It demonstrates how contract philosophers like Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau paved the way for the modern analysis of international relations. It shows how Enlightenment theorists followed up with balance-of-power theory and perpetual-peace projects. It seeks to demonstrate that the contemporary science of International Relations is the outcome of a long evolution and how its core concepts and major theories have been deeply affected by international events along the way while also showing that basic ideas have remained remarkably constant over the centuries. This has been a top selling title for a number of years and this new edition is keenly awaited.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0719095816
• ISBN13: 9780719095818
• Release Date: March 2016
• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Length: 544 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Refutation

By examining the rise and fall of the Spanish, Dutch, British, French, and lastly the United States Knutsen, in my opinion, refutes some of the claims that have been directed toward the eventual fall of the United States as a world power. Knutsen shows that some of the theorectical claims in dealing with why major powers have fallen, and there is a solid basis as to why the theories are not entirely applicable.I do think and wish that to some degree, while he refutes the various theories and points out why they are not applicable in all of the situations that were addressed, that he had proposed a theory that might fit the various situations that were examined. Overall however, Knutsen's book is well written and even though it does address a serious topic in the realm of political science and international relations, he does make it so that the average person can read it and understand it. I recommend this book as a good overview as to some of the reasons great empires of the past have fallen and what maybe, we might expect in the future.