Thinking like a Statesman: Lessons of Statecraft and Politics Reading an International

Relations Classics
This course seeks to help students to understand the fundamental problems and issues that
arise in International Politics. This is to be achieved by the careful and close reading of an
International Relations Classics Thucydides The Peloponnesian War and Machiavellis
Prince. In these books, the student will come to learn not only the sources of interstate
competition and conflict, but also different reasons why states succeed and fail in such affairs.
This course also aims at teaching students how to critically approach and understand the
fundamental phenomena of international politics. It follows the tradition of the Thucydides
curriculum started at the US Navy War College in the late 70s and early 80s John Gaddis,
that eventually emerged into the Grand Strategy program at Yale and many leading US
Elite Universities. Thus the course seeks to revive the study and practice of grand strategy by
devising methods to help training future leaders to think about and implement strategies in
imaginative and effective ways, and by organizing public events that emphasize the
importance of grand strategy. Grand strategy as a comprehensive plan of action, based on
the calculated relationship of means to large ends. Never an exact science, grand strategy
requires constant reassessment and adjustment. Flexibility is key.
It also seeks to teach students to effectively analyze and criticize via. short executive
summaries, highlighting the preferred option being advocated, taking into consideration the
cost and benefits of the decision. Also learning how to support policy advocacy with
arguments via the form of an executive summary.
The format will be reading and discussion format, done in English so student gain the greater
effectiveness and comfort in using their English language skills in dealing with such matters.
The form of work assignments will be the standard executive summary, where students are
expected to turn in an effective summary of the position they wish to advocate.
Requirements:
There will be 4 executive summariesfocusing on questions arising from the material being
addressed..
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Executive-Summary
http://www.executivesummarytemplate.net/
Required Readings:
Anthony Westin, Rulebook for Arguments (Hacket Publishing)
Robert B. Strassler (Editor), The Landmark Thucydidies
Niccolo Machiavelli The Prince (de Alvarez translation) (Waveland Press)
Sun Tuz, The Art of War

Session#
1.

TopicsReadings:
Introduction: How to read and why Reading Thucydides The Peloponnesian
War helps to learn lesions about the nature of international politics
Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks I
http://www.textkit.com/includes/tng/pub/tNG_download.php?
id=1e8b0ffbc4cba423b5cfeeade8019577

2.

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks II

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks III

4.

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks IV

5.

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks V

6.

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks VI

7.

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks VII

8.

Thucydides The Peloponnesian War. Bks VIII

9.

Machiavellis Prince, The Epistle Dedicatory and chapter 1-2

10.

Types of Principalities
Machiavellis Prince chapter 3-11

11.

Arms and the Man

Machiavellis Prince chapter 12-14

12.

Virtues of the Prince

Machiavellis Prince chapter 15-19

13.

The Prudence of the Prince

Machiavellis Prince chapter 20-25

14.

Triumph of statecraft.
Machiavellis Prince chapter 26