Modern International System

Course content

The basic purpose of this undergraduate course is to give the students a general understanding of the ‘modern international system’. To this end, how a conception of international system can be constructed will be explained through different approaches. In the second part of the course, the modern international system will be our focal point. To cope with the problems in understanding the modern international system, a civilisationally-based conception of universal history will be introduced and links between civilisations and international systems are to be discussed. After a brief overview of the pre-modern international systems, the historical development of the modern system will constitute the bulk of our discussion. How the system has become what it is now is, of course, a basic concern.