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Lecture Times
Tuesday 12:00 12:50
Thursday 11:00 11:50
Lecturers
Dr Graham Finlay (G301) Graham.Finlay@ucd.ie Office hours: 10-12 Wednesdays
Dr Tobias Theiler (G308) Tobias.Theiler@ucd.ie
Module coordinator
Dr Tobias Theiler (G308) Tobias.Theiler@ucd.ie
Tutorials
Tutorial registration must be completed online. For tutorial inquiries, the SPIRe Office is G 310. Tutorials
begin in Week Two.
Tutors
Samuel Almeida
samuel.almeida@ucdconnect.ie
Michele George
michele.george@ucdconnect.ie
Hasmik Grigoryan
hasmik.grigoryan@ucdconnect.ie
Kimberly Modica
kimodica@gmail.com
Sadhbh Oneill
sadhbh.o-neill@ucdconnect.ie
Tianyang Song
terence_song@outlook.com
Blackboard
There is a dedicated Blackboard site which carries this outline, overheads for some lectures and many other
useful resources, and where important announcements will appear. Keep an eye on it.
Assessment
40% of the grade for this module is based on continuous assessment through tutorials, which are almost weekly
(starting in week 2). This grade will include marks for attendance and essays. Your tutor will provide you with
further details.
60% of the grade is based on the final examination, which will feature a mixture of multiple choice and short
essay questions. To succeed in this module you need to attend lectures, read the texts, attend and take an active
part in tutorials, and work on essay writing and exercises. You will not succeed simply by attending lectures.
MODULE OVERVIEW
The module has two main parts: an Introduction to Political Theory and an Introduction to International
Relations. The first part of the module provides an introduction to political theory, focusing on changing
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conceptions and models of democracy, mainly through the thought of three challenging and influential political
thinkers, Aristotle, Mill and Marx. This part of the module focuses in particular on four key themes: the
meaning and relative importance of the political principles of liberty, equality and community; how much
political participation there should be; the social pre-conditions for democracy; and to what extent the kind of
democracy possible depends on how we think of human nature. The second part of the course offers an
introduction to the main issues in contemporary international politics. It first looks at the development of the
modern international system, focusing especially on the post-Cold War era. It then examines a range of
substantive issues that occupy students of contemporary international politics: war and other forms of inter-
state conflict, global trade and communication, migration, economic inequality, global environmental issues,
international integration, terrorism, human rights, and the role of multinational corporations and transnational
pressure groups.
(24 January): The origins of the state and of the international system
States in Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy
Sovereignty
The origins of international law
The concept of international society
Readings:
Robert H. Jackson, The evolution of international society. In John Baylis and Steve Smith (eds.) The
Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations (2nd edition) (Oxford: Oxford
University Press 2001), pp. 35-50.
John T. Rourke, International Politics on the World Stage (9th edition). (New York: McGraw-Hill. Dushkin
2003), Chapter 8 (pp. 196-223).
ends? The course concentrates on issues of social diversity, economic inequality and political culture.
4. Human nature and society: What conception of human nature should we use in political theory? Should
we think of individuals as more or less independent of society or as more or less determined by it? The
course concentrates on issues of gender, class and diversity.
Schedule of lectures, topics and reading assignments
(7 March) People power and participation in politics and the classless society
Readings Civil War in France, The Paris Commune, The Fall of Paris, Karl Marx, Later Political
Writings, Book version part 3 and 4.
Political Participation
Who should participate? III 1, 4, 5, 6, 11 pp. 248-250 Civil War, The Paris
Commune, Book p.
181-195
Political structures I 1, 2; IV 8, 9; VI 4 pp. 333-335 Civil War, The Paris
Commune, Book p.
181-195
Conditions for democracy III, 11; VII, 4,5 pp. 260-263 Communist Manifesto
online p. 32, Book p.27
Human nature and society I 2; VII, 13 pp. 66, 494-497 Communist Manifesto
online p. 14-21, Book
p.1-12
The page numbers refer to the editions of the books mentioned above, or online if stated.
Grading Criteria
The main criteria used for assessing your essay and exam work will be:
Relevance Does your essay answer the question asked? Is everything in it relevant to the
question?
Structure Is your essay well structured and controlled? Does it have a clear direction and
cohesion?
Knowledge Does your essay show accurate knowledge of the authors studied in the course?
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Does it indicate that you have studied the required texts? Is it based on a narrow or
a wide range of knowledge of the texts?
Understanding How good an understanding of the authors and issues does the essay demonstrate?
Do you have a clear grasp of the problems and of how different authors have dealt
with them? Are your ideas clearly expressed?
Argument/ Does your essay show an ability to argue a point of view and to assess the strengths
Analysis and weaknesses of opposing arguments? Does it take an analytical approach, as
contrasted with a descriptive approach?
Main themes
Readings
This part of the course uses no single textbook. Each lecture corresponds to one or more short book chapters,
as listed below. You must read them, preferably before each lecture. However, you should not limit yourself
to this selection. The library houses many books and articles that are relevant to the topics covered in this
course. In particular, you should make yourself familiar with the journal section in the library. Publications
such as World Politics, International Affairs, International Organization, and the Review of International
Studies are valuable sources. In the field of European Integration, try the Journal of Common Market
Studies and the Journal of European Public Policy, among others. If you are not sure whether a given book
or article is suitable, or if you have difficulties finding material, please come and see either one of us.
LECTURE SCHEDULE
(30 March): From the end of the Cold War to the present
The end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the Soviet Block
9/11
State-collapse in the Middle East
Readings:
Richard Crockatt, The end of the Cold War. In Baylis and Smith (eds.) The Globalization of World Politics,
pp. 92-110.
Michael Cox, International history since 1989. In Baylis and Smith (eds.) The Globalization of World
Politics, pp. 111-127.
Rourke, International Politics on the World Stage, pp. 34-52.
Reading:
Rourke, International Politics on the World Stage, Chapter 6 (pp. 135-162).
Fred Halliday, Nationalism. In Baylis and Smith (eds.) The Globalization of World Politics, pp. 440-455.
(25 April): International political economy: trade and the international economic division of labour
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Readings:
Rourke, International Politics on the World Stage, Chapter 16 (pp. 462-494).
Caroline Thomas Poverty, development and hunger. In Baylis and Smith (eds.) The Globalization of World
Politics, pp. 559-581.
Eric Jones The Euro and the Financial Crisis Survival. 51/2 2009.