I was really interested in taking this course since around the middle of summer when I was course planning. However, by the time my course registration for this winter session opened up It was full, as most upper level POLI courses usually are, but the course summary fascinated me and I was determined to get in. I finally got registered into the course the day of the add / drop deadline. Political theory is my preferred sector of Political Science, but I had never done a fully International Relations course before, and International Relations Theory seemed like a really good place to start. What drew me to this course was that it seemed like the course would take my interest in political theory and blend it /  apply it to modern world politics and how states interact with each other as borders become smaller and states communicate and rely on each other much more.

So far in POLI 367, I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount of stuff as well as the lack of clarity in International Relations. The variety of theories however, does interest me as it is fascinating to see and study the theories behind how people and states interact with each other and why they do the things they do. Its difficult to say what my first introduction to the subject matter was, as I still don’t really know exactly what a clear definition of the subject matter would be. In a broader sense, I suppose my first introduction could have been a course I took while on exchange that focused primarily on War and Society, or perhaps POLI 260, which this class reminds me a lot of so far.

In terms of the lecture itself and the reading materials, I like how the history of these theories is discussed and explored, being able to follow the train of thought and discussion that led to the formation of certain theories makes them more accessible and understandable for me. Tracing back the origins of all the different theories makes all the contradictions and multiple perspectives and understandings of the same thing clearer.I particularly like the readings for week 3 on Thucydides and Neorealism, the use of the Peloponnesian War to criticize more modern theories such as Neorealism is fascinating. The continued analysis from different perspectives of such an old event demonstrate the unending potential for critical thinking in world politics and international relations.