MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Department of International Relations

Faculty of Social Sciences
South Asian University
New Delhi - 110021, India

POLITICAL THEORY
Course Details

Instructor Details

Classroom Hours: Monday and

Thursday: (9000h -1100h)

Medha Bisht
Room 318, Akbar Bhawan

Compulsory: 4 Credits
Email: medhabisht@sau.ac.in
Contact Hours: TBC

Course Description

The basic objective of this course is to facilitate and develop critical engagement with
the fundamentals of political theory and International Relations. Concepts, debates
and analysis relevant for the study of international relations have been emphasised
upon. The course will underline an applied analytical approach and provide a
theoretical prism to address challenges posed by issues in contemporary international
relations. Case studies and concepts have been selected on the basis of their relevance
to the twenty-first century.
The course is divided into three units. The first unit serves as an introduction to
political theory. Its nature, scope, relevance and interaction with international
relations discipline will be emphasized upon. The second unit emphasises on some
fundamental concepts and theoretical terms associated with political theory. The third
unit on applied political theory employs an applied prism, whereby four cases are
selected--studied, explained and analysed on the basis of concepts elucidated through
concepts enunciated by a team of political theorists. The class will be divided into
four groups, who would work on their preferred case studies. This unit requires high
level of interaction, participation and action from the students. Some initial classes
will be devoted to the discussion on the recommended texts outlined in this syllabus.

METHOD OF EVALUATION
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First Mid-Semester: 20%

Term Paper/Review Essay: 30%
Class Presentation/Attendance/Participation: 20%
End Semester Examination: 30%

(Review essay will require reviewing 2 books in minimum. The books have to be
approved by the course instructor.)

COURSE STRUCTURE
Monsoon Semester 2012

Unit I: Introduction to Political Theory: Definition, Scope, Nature and Relevance

to International Relations

I.

This is an introductory unit. Several issues pertaining to political

theory- its definition, nature, decline and significance for the
international relations students will be studied.

Required Readings

Heywood, Andrew, Political Theory: An Introduction (IIIrd ed), New York: Palgrave
Macmillan, 2004 (Chapter 1: Introduction: Concepts and Theories in Politics)
Dryzek, John, Bonnie, Honig & Anne Phillips (eds), The Oxford Handbook of
Political Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. (Chapter 1: Introduction)
David Held (ed), Political Theory Today, United Kingdom: Polity Press, 199.
(Chapter 1)
George. H. Sabine, What is Political Theory, Journal of Politics, 1(1), February
1939.
Om Bakshi, The Crises of Political History: An Enquiry into Contemporary
Thought ,Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1987. (Chapter 2, 4, 5, 6)
Isaiah Berlin, Does Political Theory Still Exist, in Laslett and Ruciman (eds),
Philosophy, Politics and Society, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1962.
Leo Strauss, What is Political Philosophy, Gleucose: Illinois, 1959. (Introduction)
Steve Smith, The Forty Years Detour: The Resurgence of Normative Theory in
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International Relations, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 21 (3) 1992.

Nicholas Rengger, Political Theory and International Relations: Promised Land or
Exit from Eden?, International Affairs, 76 (4), October 2000.
Brown, Nardin and Rengger, (eds.), International Relations in Political Thought,
United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2002). Introduction

Recommended Readings

White, K. Stephen & J. Donald Moon (eds) (2004) What is Political Theory, London:
Sage Publication. (Chapter 5: At The Edge)
Bhargava, Rajeev & Ashok Acharya (eds) (2009) Political Theory; An Introduction,
New Delhi: Pearsons (Chapter 1 & 2)
Gaus, Gerald S. & Chandran Kukathas (eds), (2004), Handbook of Political Theory,
London: Sage Publication. (Part- III).
James Der Derian, Post Theory: The Eternal return of Ethics in International
Relations, in Doyle and Ikenberry (eds) New Thinking in International Relations
Theory, United Kingdom: Westview Press, 1997.
Andrew Linkater, Men and Citizens in the Theory of International Relations,
Hongkong: Macmillan Press, 1982. (While the whole book should be read, part one
will be particularly useful)
Unit II: State
II.

In this unit different concept, theories and debate about the state will
be covered. There is a change in the concept of state from ancient to
modern times and these shifts will be underlined. Different
perspectives regarding the state particularly Marxist, Gandhian and
feminist will be studied.

In this unit, select readings should be read by the students before coming to the class. Class
participation and discussion on the readings is required. Readings are available in the
library. Alternatively, the course instructor can be contacted. While this is an indicative
bibliography, more readings will be added over time.
Required Readings

Gaus, Gerald S. & Chandran Kukathas (eds) , Handbook of Political Theory,

London: Sage Publication,2004 (Part- III).
Kantola, Johanna, Feminists Theorize the State, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan,
2006. (Chapter 1)
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Lenin, Valdimir, The State and Revolution, 1917 [Online: Web] URL:
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/staterev/
Baidyanath Ghosh, Gandhian Political Economy: State, Power and Policy, Review
of Social, Economic and Business Studies, Vol. 2, 2007.
Ernest
Mandell,
Marxist
Theory
of
State,
1969,
http://www.marxists.org/archive/mandel/1969/xx/state.htm

available

at:

Kaultilya, A welfare State and Defence and External Affairs.(Copy can be accessed
from the course instructor)
J. P. Nettl , The State as a conceptual variable World Politics, 20 (4), July 1968.

Recommended Readings

Heywood, Andrew (2004), Political Theory: An Introduction (IIIrd ed), New York:
Palgrave Macmillan. (Chapter 3).
Timothy Mitchell, The Limits of the State: Beyond Statist Approaches and their
Critics, The American Political Science Review, 85 (1), 1991.
Bhikhu Parekh, Gandhi: A very short Introduction, New York: OUP, 2007.
Catharine A. MacKinnon, Feminism, Marxism, Method and the State: An Agenda
for Theory, Signs, 7 (3), Spring 1982.
Barry Buzan, People State and Fear: The National Security Problem in International
Relations, London: Wheat Sheaf books, 1983.
Sovereignty
III Sovereignty is not only an important concept but several important
discourses are associated with it. This unit will look into the concept of
sovereignty and the debates related to the diffusion of sovereignty.

Required Readings

Morris. W, Christopher, An Essay on Modern State, Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 1998.(Chapter 7)
Salmon, Trevor C. & Imber, Mark F, Issues in International Relations (II Edition),
Oxon: Routledge Publication, 2008. (Chapter 3).
Recommended Readings

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Pemberton, Jo-Anne , Sovereignty: Interpretations, New York, Palgrave Macmillan,

2009.
Stephen. D. Krasner, Sharing Sovereignty: New Institutions for Collapsed and
Failing States, International Security, 29 (2), Fall 2004.
Richard Haas, The Primacy of Stateor Revising the Revisionist, Daedalus, 108
(4), Fall 1979.
Susan Strange, The Retreat of the State: Diffusion of Power in the World Economy,
London: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Liberty
IV There is a debate on notion of liberty amongst the political thinkers.
Emphasis will be laid on the positives and negatives of liberty--the contested
terrain and its new dimensions. Mills notion of Liberty and redefinition of
Liberty in identity politics will also be studied.

Required Readings

Berlin, I, Two Concepts of Liberty. in Isaiah Berlin Four Essays on Liberty,

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1965.
Bromwich, David & George Kateb (eds), On Liberty: John Sturat Mill, New Haven:
Yale University Press, 2003 (Chapter 3).
Recommended Readings

Skinner, Quentin , The Third Concept of Liberty, Proceeding of British Academy,

2002.
David Sidorsky, Third Concept of Liberty and Politics of Identity, Partisan
Review, 58 (4), 2 at: http://www.bu.edu/partisanreview/archive/2001/4/sidorsky.html,
2001.

Power
V. Power is an important concept. For the political scientist it has different
meanings. Power is also linked with authority, legitimacy and hegemony. This
unit will cover concepts and theories related to power.

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Required Readings

Dryzek, John, Bonnie, Honig & Anne Phillips (eds), The Oxford Handbook of
Political Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006 (Chapter : 3)
Fontana, Benedetto, On the Relations Between Gramsci Hegemony and Power
Machiavelli, London: Minnesota University Publication, 1993 (Chapter
1).
Recommended Readings

Agnew, John, Hegemony: The New Shape of Global Power, Philadelphia: Temple
University Press, 2005. (Chapter 2).
Plato, Defense of Socrates; Euthypho, Crito, 1995, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Democracy
VI. The question of democracy is very important and relevant too for the
students of South Asian region. Different issues related to democracy like
representation, public interests and citizenship are covered in this unit.
Required Readings

Tansey, D. Stephen & Nigel Jackson, Politics: The Basics (IVth Edition), Oxon:
Routledge Publication, 2008 (Chapter: 7)
Edwards, Jason, The Radical Attitude and Modern Political Theory, New York:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2007 (Chapter: 5)
Joseph. A. Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, USA, George Ammen
and Unwin, 1994. (Read the Section on Two Concepts of Democracy)
Selections from Jean Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, 1762.
Recommended Readings

Anderson, W, Charles, A Deeper Freedom: Liberal Democracy as an Everyday

Morality, London: The University of Wisconsin Press University of Wisconsin Press,
2002.
Jalal, Ayesha, Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and
Historical Prespective, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Charles Tilly, Democracy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

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Civil Society
VII In the contemporary nation-state civil society is an important constituent.
The role, activity and contribution of civil society is a matter of debate and
analysis. In this unit different concepts, theories and debates related to civil
society are covered.
Required Readings

Baker, Gideon, Civil Society and Democratic Theory, London: Routledge Publication,
2002 (Chapter 7 & 9)
Sudipta Kaviraj and Sunil Khilnani (eds), Civil Society: History and Possibilities,
Cambridge University Press: 2001
Recommended Readings

Kaldor, Mary, The Idea of Global Civil Society, International Affairs, Vol. 79, No.
3, 2003, pp. 583-593.
(If time permits, the concept of Justice will also be included as a separate section. As
for now it is not in the course structure).
Unit III: Applied Political Theory
While this unit will be open to selection of specific case studies, it intends to
encourage the application of specific concepts to the same. Some key texts are
recommended. However, there is no particular restriction apropos select readings on
the subject. The attempt is to contexualise fundamentals of political theory to the
evolving contours of contemporary international relations.
These cases can also be picked up the students for their term papers.
Select readings for this Unit
These are some mandatory readings, which the students are expected to familiarise
themselves with.
Katherine Smits, Applying Political Theory: Issues and Debates, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
Chris Brown, Sovereignty, Rights and Justice: International Political Theory Today, USA:
Blackwell Publishers, 2002.
Michael Walzer: Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations,
USA: Basic Book, 1977.
Sean. D Murphy, Humanitarian Intervention: The United Nations in an Evolving World
Order, USA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996
Keck and Sikkink, Activists Beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics,
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UK: Cornell University Press, 1998.

Terence Ball and Richard Bellamy, New social movements and the politics of difference," in
The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought, Cambridge University
Press, 2003.
Lorraine Elliott, The Global Politics of Environment, London: Macmillan Press, 1998.

Case Studies
Case Study One: Global Environmental Politics

Case Study Two: Humanitarian Intervention and Use of Force

Case Study Three: International Human Rights

Case Study Four: Social Movements

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