Presentation

The seminar will go into the details of IR theories before applying them to various topics linked to history of international politics and war studies. The issues covered include : IR’s Three Traditions ; Is IR an American Social Science? ; Neoclassical Realism ; Post-Positivism’s Major Claims ; Paradigmatic vs. Pragmatic Research in IR ; Democratic Peace or Democratic Wars? ; Reasons of Global Terrorism, etc.

Educational formula

Every student has to make an oral presentation of both a Theoretical Issue and a Book Review (some 10 to 12 minutes, 30% of the final grade). Every student has to write 2 Research Papers (50% of the final grade).

Each research paper will be orally presented during some 20 to 30 minutes (the shorter, the better), and the presentation will be followed by a discussion based on the critical comments made by another student (10 % of the final grade).

Every student is invited to actively participate in the various discussions, by asking questions, putting forward criticisms, proposing alternative analyses (10% of the final grade).