TOP BOOKS TO READ IF YOU WANT TO STUDY
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT UNIVERSITY www.immerse.education
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International Relations is about war and peace, conflict and cooperation, wealth and poverty, power and change, and understanding patterns of behaviour in different societies across the globe.
International Relations may occasionally sound like an academic and austere topic, but it is an incredibly exciting subject. If you want to study International Relations at university, there is certainly a lot of material to read since it dominates our newspapers daily. So where should you start? We spoke to the Cambridge Immerse mentor team who are studying at the University of Cambridge to ask them what books they think a prospective student should read before applying to university.
Table of Content The list below is some of the titles they recommended in no particular order.
International Relations: A Very Short Introduction �� 4 by Paul Wilkinson
Man, the State and War ������������������������������������������ 5 by Kenneth Waltz
What Money Can’t Buy ������������������������������������������� 6 by Michael Sandel
The Better Angels of Our Nature ����������������������������� 7 by Steven Pinker
Leviathan ���������������������������������������������������������������� 8 by Thomas Hobbes
World Order ������������������������������������������������������������ 9 by Henry Kissinger
International Relations: A Very Short Introduction by PAUL WILKINSON
Wilkinson’s book is a great place to start for the student who wants to know more about the subject and the theory associated with it.
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iven that international relations is not often on a school syllabus, students interested in the subject might only have deveoped their interest through the following of international news. Wilkinson’s book is a great place to start for the student who wants to know more about the subject and the theory associated with it. Covering topics such as foreign policy, the world economy, and globalization, this Very Short Introduction exemplifies the many disciplines that come together in the study of international events. Discussing not only the main academic theories, but also the practical problems and issues, Wilkinson considers key normative questions, such as how the international state system might be reformed so that international relations are improved.
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Man, the State and War by KENNETH WALTZ
This is a classic international relations book, from a strong realist perspective.
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hat are the causes of war? To answer this question, Professor Waltz examines the ideas of major thinkers throughout the history of Western civilization. He explores works both by classic political philosophers, such as St. Augustine, Hobbes, Kant, and Rousseau, and by modern psychologists and anthropologists to discover ideas intended to explain war among states and related prescriptions for peace. This book explores three ways in which to explain conflict in the international systems, namely individuals, states and the international system itself. It is a great introduction to the realist study of international relations, and it is also hugely helpful to be familiar with Waltz’s concepts as they are often recurring ideas throughout an international relations course. Whether you agree with his arguments or not, Waltz has undeniably been very influential in the study of international relations.
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What Money Can’t Buy by MICHAEL SANDEL
Market economies are no longer an option, but rather a force all political communities must reckon with.
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andel resists the “end of history� mentality and argues that we must see market economies as a tool under the control of democratic institutions, and that market logic must not be confused for justice or morality. Prospective candidates would benefit from this book since it makes a forceful case for thinking about politics, and its relationship to the economy, in moral terms. This is a useful approach to studying the rise of neoliberal ideology and questioning justice as determined by the market.
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The Better Angels of Our Nature by STEVEN PINKER
Any rigorous study of contemporary politics and international relations risks leaving the student feeling disillusioned.
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tates are the tool of the ruling class, the strong do as they wish in international politics, and human rights are nothing but colonialism. Whilst these critiques of modern institutions are vital, Steven Pinker’s book helps put modern politics in perspective. By arguing that we currently live in the most peaceful era in human history, and demonstrating that violence is in decline in every dimension of human existence, Pinker shows us that progress may be possible and that some of our political institutions have indeed worked.
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Leviathan by THOMAS HOBBES
Hobbes’ ‘Leviathan’ is foundational to understanding the modern state, in spite of its being written over 350 years ago.
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obbes, famously born “twinned with fear”, believed that human action is determined by self-interest and selfishness. The most important rule for humans (the first law of nature) is to avoid violent conflict and seek peace, in order to ensure self-preservation. The fact that peace will look different for everyone means that only thing we can, and must, agree on is to allow one person or institution to determine what this peace looks like for us- a sovereign or government. This sovereign is our representative, that is, someone who speaks for all of us and to whom we all submit and obey. It is only through this sovereign that we are joined together as a multitude, allowing us to escape the natural condition of war and as a consequence live longer, less violent, happier lives. Although initially a challenging read, ‘Leviathan’ is a text that remains ever relevant the world we live in. Hobbes’ ideas are relatively simple but bring into perspective the contrast between individualism and giving up liberty for the advancement of society. It also raises a number of interesting other questions such as the use of force and is a basis for some nationalistic ideas. It is a rather tough book to grasp at first, so having read it before coming to university will only be to the prospective student’s advantage. ‘Leviathan’ considers the concepts of structure of society, legitimacy of government and the social contract theory. Although it was published in 1651, and may seem outdated in many ways, the fundamental ideas are still applicable to the study of current political, social and economic phenomena.
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World Order by HENRY KISSINGER
Henry Kissinger was an American diplomat and a practicing statesman under Presidents Nixon and Ford.
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issinger also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973. His books gives an insight into the workings of international politics, whilst at the same time exposing the inner logic of the realist school of thought within International Relations. Kissinger starts off questioning what the world order is and, with a critique of the Westphalian system, he argues that whilst we take the Westphalian system as synonymous with the notion of a world order - a universal and moral absolute, it is actually only an arbitrary creation of historical contingencies. Undermining the notion of what we take as universal allows him to look into how to create an alternative world order, which he does by detailed, historical micro-analysis of different regions, to reach conclusions about what an alternative world order could look like. Many argue that his writings have been the basis of the research and the study of international relations over the last twenty years and, though everyone may not agree with his conclusions, his explanations provide an immense insight into the hierarchy of which we are now a part of. He also provides a trans-historical view of history and usefully shows why some countries act the way they do today. Again, Kissinger’s writings would get a prospective candidate thinking in a certain way and it can be immensely useful in the run-up to university applications.
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