International Systems in World History Remaking the Study of International Relations

by Buzan, Barry; Little, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780198780656
• ISBN10: 0198780656
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-22
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This book tells the story of humankind's evolution from a scattering of hunter-gatherer bands to today's integrated global international political economy. Seeking to emulate and challenge the cross-disciplinary influence of the world systems model, the book recasts the study of international relations into a macro-historical perspective, shows how its core concepts work across time, and sets out a new theoretical agenda and a new intellectual role for the discipline.

Author Biography

Barry Buzan is Research Professor of International Studies at the University of Westminster and Project Director of the European Security Group at the Copenhagen Peace Research Institute. Prior to this he was Professor of International Relations at the University of Warwick. He has been visiting professor at the International University of Japan and has also been an Olof Palme visiting professor and adviser on foreign affairs to the Swedish government. He is the author of numerous books on International Relations and from 1988-90 was the Chairman of the British International Studies Association.
Richard Little is Professor of International Politics in the Department of Politics at the University of Bristol. Before this he was at the Open University and Lancaster University and has held fellowships at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and the Australian National University. He was editor of the Review of International Studies from 1990-94 and is currently Vice Chair of the B

Table of Contents

Detailed Contents	xiii
Introduction	1	(14)
PART I INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS, WORLD HISTORY, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY	15	(96)
Systems, History, Theory, and the Study of International Relations	17	(18)
Competing Conceptions of the International System	35	(14)
Systemic Thinking in World History	49	(19)
The Theoretical Toolkit of this Book	68	(22)
Establishing Criteria for International Systems	90	(21)
PART II SYSTEMS IN PRE-INTERNATIONAL WORLD HISTORY	111	(52)
Introduction to Part II	111	(4)
The Origins of Pre-international Systems	115	(19)
The Transition from Pre-international to International Systems	134	(29)
Conclusion to Part II	160	(3)
PART III THE RISE AND INTERLINKAGE OF MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS IN THE ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL WORLD	163	(78)
Introduction to Part III	163	(4)
The New Units: City-States, Empires, and Barbarians as the Main Actors of the Ancient and Classical World	167	(23)
Interaction Capacity in Ancient and Classical International Systems	190	(26)
Process in Ancient and Classical International Systems	216	(12)
Structure in Ancient and Classical International Systems	228	(13)
Conclusion to Part III	239	(2)
PART IV THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EVOLUTION OF A GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM	241	(106)
Introduction to Part IV	241	(2)
Units in the Modern International System	243	(33)
Interaction Capacity in the Modern International System	276	(24)
Process in the Modern International System	300	(30)
Structure in the Modern International System	330	(17)
Conclusion to Part IV	344	(3)
PART V SPECULATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, REFLECTIONS	347	(70)
Introduction to Part V	347	(2)
Outlook: A Postmodern International System?	349	(20)
What World History Tells us about International Relations Theory	369	(17)
What International Relations Theory Tells us about World History	386	(21)
Reflections	407	(10)
Refernces	417	(23)
Glossary	440	(3)
Index	443