Rethinking International Relations: (Rethinking Political Science and International Studies series)

In this thought-provoking book, Bertrand Badie argues that the traditional paradigms of international relations are no longer sustainable, and that ignorance of these shifting systems and of alternative models is a major source of contemporary international conflict and disorder. Through a clear examination of the political, historical and social context, Badie illuminates the challenges and possibilities of an 'intersocial' and multilateral approach to international relations. Badie lays the foundations for understanding by first tracing the history of traditional Eurocentric international relations, from the Westphalian Peace of the seventeenth century through to the power politics of the mid-twentieth century, and discussing the processes, such as decolonisation, by which this system has been destabilised. Chapters consider issues such as the changing powers and identity of the state, regionalism, and war and conflict, demonstrating the impact of globalisation and the growing influence of both non-Western and non-state actors in the international arena and highlighting the need for a more widespread understanding of these realities. Rethinking International Relations will be essential reading for all scholars and students of international relations and political science. Its insights will also prove useful to policymakers and other actors involved in diplomatic relations and international public policy.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction 1. How International Relations Were Invented 2. “The Great Transformation”: Three Major Ruptures 3. Territorialization And Deterritorialization 4. An Inter-Social World 5. States In Question 6. The Regional Dilemma 7. New Wars, New Peace 8. New Diplomacies Conclusion Index

About the Author :
Bertrand Badie, SciencesPo Paris, France

Review :
'The blindness of Western leaders and academics to the ways the international environment has changed since the days of the Congress of Vienna is a root cause of policy failure and possibly of impending catastrophe. In this brilliant exercise of historical sociology, Badie, drawing on the insights of Emile Durkheim, elaborates five principles to pull the wool from Western eyes. His arguments are very much on target and his book should be required reading in the academy and foreign ministries.' --Richard Ned Lebow, King's College London, UK