Liberalism: International Relations Theory

What if countries work together for gain instead of engaging in warfare? Picture a world in which individuals' rights and freedoms are valued and peace and prosperity prevail. This is the vision pursued by various scholars of international relations but how can we bring about such a world? This political science course explores the principles and historical development of liberalism in the context of international relations theory and explains how liberal principles affect geopolitics.

We first introduce you to the foundations of liberalism. We explore the philosophy’s core principles and compare liberalism to other prominent political theories. We examine the contributions of John Locke and David Hume to liberal thought and outline their perspectives on the state of nature and laws to explain how they greatly influenced liberalism in international relations. We also study the theories of philosophers such as Hugo Grotius and Immanuel Kant on matters concerning the laws that govern war and peace on the world stage.

This geopolitics and political science course discusses the perspectives on liberalism through the works of scholars like Robert Keohane, Joseph Nye, Norman Angell and former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Finally, we explore theories of modern liberalism and establish their relevance in the contemporary world. This course has no prerequisites and suits anyone curious about the world around them. Liberalism is one of the most important schools of thought in international relations theory and plays a key role as thinkers, activists and leaders try to create a better and more peaceful world. Sign up to learn how to interpret current events and the geopolitical nuances of international relations through the lens of liberalism.