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INR 3081 (U01A)
Contemporary Int’l. Problems: “The Causes of War”
Summer A 2019
Course Information:
Lectures: Mon. & Wed. 8:15 to 11:35 AM) Instructor: Nicolás Terradas.
Class No.: 53611. Email: nicolas.terradas@fiu.edu
Classroom: Ziff Education Bldg. 110 Office Hours: By appointment only.
Course Description:
This course examines the main theoretical debates around the causes of war in International Relations
(IR) – one of the perennial problématiques in world politics. The course focuses on a sub‐section of the field
of Security Studies which studies the role and function of the use of force in international politics – with
special attention to the impact of technological and normative change upon the practice of war among
diverse political groups across time. Throughout the semester, students will acquire several theoretical,
conceptual, and analytical tools with which to filter, order and attach contextual meaning to a plethora
of themes regarding war and the use of force. The course is designed around three particular key themes:
(a) The role of war in human history; (b) The study of war in the field of IR; and (c) The evolutionary
nature of war. These themes run transversally across the entire sets of readings and weekly discussions.
Students are expected to read diligently for each class, and during the second part of the semester, they
will be asked to prepare oral presentations on specific chapters and/or topics selected from the assigned
readings.
Course Objectives:
The principal aim of this course is to teach students autonomous, abstract, and critical thinking in relation
to the study of the main causes of war in IR. Accordingly, the course introduces students to the process
of abstraction and critical inquiry in the discipline, and familiarizes them with various viewpoints
regarding the causes of war. Apart from developing good writing skills, students will be expected to
improve in the planning and delivery of oral presentations. The ultimate goal is to learn not only about
how war has evolved over time, but also about how specific IR theories can help students assess, explain,
organize, and engage related contemporary issues in international politics in useful or practical ways.
Acquiring this set of tools will empower students in their better understanding of IR in general, as well
as help them develop a more sophisticated “common language” with which to build a more coherent,
and sophisticated worldview.
Jack S. Levy and William R. Thompson, Causes of War (Wiley‐Blackwell, 2010). ISBN:
9781405175593.
Greg Cashman, What Causes War? An Introduction to Theories of International Conflict (Rowman &
Littlefield, 2nd. ed., 2014). ISBN: 9780742566514.
Azar Gat, The Causes of War and the Spread of Peace: But Will War Rebound? (Oxford University Press,
2017). ISBN: 9780198795025.
Other recommended texts useful for the course are:
Julian Lindley‐French and Yves Boyer (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of War (Oxford University Press,
2012).
Douglas P. Fry (ed.), War, Peace, and Human Nature: The Convergence of Evolutionary and Cultural
Views (Oxford University Press, 2013).
Donald Kagan, On the Origins of War and the Preservation of Peace (Doubleday, 1995).
Geoffrey Blainey, The Causes of War (Free Press, 3rd. ed., 1988).
Kenneth N. Waltz, Man, the State, and War (Columbia University Press, [1959] 2001).
Hidemi Suganami, On the Causes of War (Clarendon Press, 1996).
Miguel Á. Centeno and Elaine Enriquez, War & Society (Polity, 2016).
Lacy Pejcinovic, War in International Society (Routledge, 2013).
Bradley A. Thayer, Darwin and International Relations: On the Evolutionary Origins of War and Ethnic
Conflict (The University Press of Kentucky, 2004).
Rupert Smith, The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007).
GRADING CRITERIA:
EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated based on their general performance during the entire semester. The main
focus will be put on the students’ comprehension of the main assigned texts, identification of the core
arguments, and their assessment of the weaknesses/strengths of each theoretical school in IR. Students
are expected to read widely and consistently throughout the semester. 30% of their final grade will
consist of class participation and oral presentations. There will be a mid‐term exam, worth 30% of the
final grade, which will test the students’ critical thinking skills in applying some of the general themes
of the course to a concrete contemporary examples. Lastly, there will be a final exam covering general
themes of the entire course, worth 40% of the final grade.
COMMUNICATION:
Communication in this course will take place within Canvas. See the Canvas Guide on communicating
with course users for more information.
ATTENDANCE:
Attendance is mandatory, yet flexible. Since this is a Summer course, sessions are more extended than
during regular Fall/Spring semesters. Monday and Wednesday classes extend from 8:15 to 11:35 AM,
with two coffee breaks in each session. For this reason, students should come to all the classes – regardless
of arriving late. Missing an entire day (Mon. or Wed.) equates to missing an entire week of classes in
regular semesters. Finally, attendance will be taken three times a day – at the beginning, and after each
coffee break – to control attendance.
ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATION:
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members
to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC
provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education
and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize
academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305‐348‐3532 or visit them at the Graham Center
GC 190. Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the
tools used in this course, and visit the LMS Accessibility webpage for more information on Canvas. For
additional assistance please contact FIU’s Disability Resource Center.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic dishonesty undermines the spirit of responsible inquiry on which the University relies, and
will result in severe penalties (which, according to University policy, may range from receiving a failing
grade and/or expulsion from the University itself). Note that the Student Code of Conduct not only
prohibits cheating, but also specifically prohibits allowing other students to cheat with your assistance
or complicity. For more information on these policies, see the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution
website: http://conduct.fiu.edu. FIU is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge
through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas and community
service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and
honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a
standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the
educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if
they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct
procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.
Academic Misconduct includes: Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic
sources; or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field
service reports, class recitations; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course
materials, whether originally authorized or not. Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s
work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own.
Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source,
including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism.
Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can
help you prepare for a successful semester.
In support of Academic Integrity at FIU, Turnitin will be used to review the papers that you submit in
this course. Turnitin does not determine whether plagiarism has taken place or not. Turnitin will also
not be used as a punitive tool or measure. The instructor of this class will use the reports that Turnitin
generates as a basis for the thorough evaluation of the authenticity and originality of your work and the
work of your classmates. Please, review the detailed Turnitin Instructions on how to submit your
assignments and how to review the Grademark comments (feedback) from your professor.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus should the need arise.
Any student having a prior commitment any time during the semester should notify the
instructor by the first week of class to make any necessary arrangements.
Any student requiring accommodations of any sort should notify the instructor by the first week
of class to make any necessary arrangements.
Grade disputes must be brought to the instructor’s attention no later than one (1) week after the
grades are returned.
Readings:
Part 1: Introduction
Module 2: Understanding War (May 13)
Required Readings:
Lawrence Freedman, “Defining War,” in The Oxford Handbook of War, pp. 17–29.
Alyson J. K. Bailes, “The Strategic Object of War,” in ibid., pp. 148–161.
Azar Gat, The Causes of War and the Spread of Peace, “Preface” and chaps. 1–3.
Levy and Thompson, Causes of War, chap. 1.
Module 3: The Anthropology of War (May 15 – May 20)
Required Readings:
Azar Gat, The Causes of War and the Spread of Peace, chap. 4.
Lawrence H. Keeley, “War Before Civilization—15 Years On,” in The Evolution of
Violence, pp. 23–31.
Steven A. LeBlanc, “Warfare and the Development of Social Complexity: Some
Demographic and Environmental Factors,” in The Archaeology of Warfare, pp. 437–468.
Jonathan Haas and Matthew Piscitelli, “The Prehistory of Warfare: Misled by
Ethnography,” in War, Peace and Human Nature, pp. 168–190.
R. Brian Ferguson, “Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, and the Origins and
Intensifications of War,” in The Archaeology of Warfare, pp. 469–523.
Required Readings:
Levy and Thompson, Causes of War, chap. 3–4, 7.
Greg Cashman, What Causes War?, chap. 4–9.
Module 6: The Individual Level of Analysis (June 3 – June 5)
Required Readings:
Levy and Thompson, Causes of War, chap. 5–6.
Greg Cashman, What Causes War?, chap. 2–3.
Required Readings:
Michael Clarke, “Does War Have a Future?,” in The Oxford Handbook of War, pp. 647–662.
Azar Gat, The Causes of War and the Spread of Peace, chap. 6–7 and “Conclusion.”
R. Brian Ferguson, “Pinker’s List: Exaggerating Prehistoric War Mortality,” in War, Peace
and Human Nature, pp. 112–132.
Required Readings:
Olivier Debouzy, “Nuclear Deterrence and War,” in The Oxford Handbook of War, pp.
162–184.
Julian Lindley‐French and Yves Boyer, “Conclusions: The Unpredictability of War and
Its Consequences,” in The Oxford Handbook of War, pp. 663–668.
Levy and Thompson, Causes of War, “Conclusion.”
Greg Cashman, What Causes War?, “Conclusion.”