Pair Discussion

What do you understand by International

Relations?
 Do you think that International Relations is a daily
basis concept? Why or why not?

 Why do you think that people are not concerned

or not interested in International Relations?
What does IR mean?

IR is defined as the study of relationships and interactions between countries,

including the activities and policies of national governments (NGs),

international organizations (IGOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),

and multinational corporations (MNCs).

 Chapter 1: Why IR?
The aims of the chapter are:
1. to emphasize the practical reality of international relations
in our everyday lives

2. to connect that practical reality with the academic study of

international relations; by focusing on:
a. the modern sovereign states; and

b. the international relations of the state system

IR academic approaches

Economy

History Legal
Political studies
Philosophy
Science
 independent nation or state that is an unambiguous
and bordered territory, with a permanent population, under the
Sovereign state jurisdiction of supreme government that is constitutionally
separate from all foreign governments

Are legally independent but that does not

States that have sovereignty mean they are isolated from each other

Then, what does this

mean?

They adjoin and They must find ways

affect each other to coexist and to deal
with each other
 Any examples!

u
Justify?

sually, international markets affect

the policies of the states’
governments and the wealth and
welfare of their citizens. That
requires that they enter in relations
with each other.

WHY? Iran Iraq

When states are isolated and cut off from the

state system, either by their own
government or by foreign powers, the
people usually suffer as a result
North Korea
So, this means that …

State system is a distinctive way of organizing political

life on earth and has deep historical roots. There have
been state systems at different times and places in different
parts of the world, for example, ancient India, ancient
Greece, and Renaissance Italy
There are at least five basic social values that states
are usually expected to uphold

freedom welfare
Order a
security nd Justic
e
 Security
The state is responsible about the protection of the citizens from any internal and external
threats. “The existence of independent states affects the value of security”, how?
The world consists of many states, almost all of which are armed at least to some degree and
some of which are major military powers.
Thus, states can both defend and threaten people’s security, and that paradox of the state system
is usually referred to as the ‘security dilemma’.
States should ensure its “national security” whether this state is friendly, non-threatening, and
peace-loving or hostile and aggressive that no government can constrain them.
To deal with any security problems, states should possess armed forces. Military power is usually
considered a necessity so that states can coexist and deal with each other without being
intimidated or subjugated.
 Freedom
The state is responsible for ensuring the personal freedom and national freedom
or independence of its citizens. The governments place taxes or obligations of
military service on citizens as condition to foster the national freedom or
independence, why?
Because citizens cannot be free unless their states are free.

Even if the state is free the, citizens may still not be free personally, but at least
then the problem of their freedom is in their government's hands.

Freedom is required to create a better world. If war threatens and/or destroys

freedom, peace fosters it and makes a progressive international change possible.
 Order and Justice
Every state is expected to uphold the order and justice of their citizens as they are two of the ultimate
values of IR. Each state must socially work and have interest in preserving international order and
promoting international justice.
WHY?
If the states ensure meeting the two values of order and justice, then, the International law, diplomatic
relations, and international organizations can only exist and operate successfully.

Establishing and maintaining international order play a crucial role in assisting states to coexist and
interact on a basis of stability, certainty, and predictability. It also assists states to support the
international organizations and follow the accepted practices of diplomacy.

Ensuring justice requires upholding to the international law. Upholding to the international law assists
states to keep their treaty commitments and observe related rules, conventions and customs. It also helps
states to work by the international framework of the human rights that includes the civil, political, social,
and economic rights of their citizens.
 Welfare
According to the international political economy, the International
Relations is best understood and charactarised as socioeconomic
world. That's why upholding the population's socioeconomic wealth
and welfare has been one of the fundamental values that a state has to
ensure.

Citizens expect their governments to respond to the international

economic system in such a way as to enhance or at least defend and
maintain the national standard of living.

Therefore, states attempt to implement and/or frame economic

policies that can maintain the stability of the international economy
by which they can deal with for example the international markets,
international trade, economic policies of other states, international
transportation ...etc.