POSC 356

I. Course Title: Force in International Relations (IR)

II. Course Number: POSC 356

III. Credit Hours: 3 credits 

IV. Prerequisites: None

V. Course Description: 

An intensive study of the use of force in international relations. Themes include classical perspectives on force, just war theory, force and world order, force and international law, collective security, conflicts and their consequences.

Note(s): Cultural or Behavioral Analysis designated course. Students may not receive credit for POSC 458 and POSC 356.

VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:

POSC 356 studies the following:

• The anarchic international milieu
• Classical approaches to the problem of force 
• Just War Theory 
• Western strategic thought from Machiavelli through Clausewitz
• Strategic thought in other cultures including Sun Tzu and Mao Zedong
• International Law and the Use of Force
• Collective Security Approaches to Force and Order
• Highlighted Conflicts and Their Consequences. 

VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:

POSC 356 involves lecture, class discussion, simulations, and experiential exercises. 

VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:

1. Students describe behaviors, beliefs, cultures, social institutions, and/or environments. 
2. Students analyze the interactions of behaviors, beliefs, cultures, social institutions, and/or environments.
3. Students are able to identify the major problems involved with the use of force in international relations, including the contributions of major thinkers to those topics.  

VIII. Assessment Measures:

Students are assessed based on class participation, quizzes/tests, papers, simulation exercises, and other assignments.  

 

Other Course Information: Readings will draw upon classical texts (such as Clausewitz’s On War and Thucydides Peloponnesian War), a textbook, and contemporary readings. 

 

Review and Approval

DATE ACTION REVIEWED BY
April 1998 Reviewed M. J. Franck, Dept. Chair

March 01, 2021