SUBJECT: POLITICAL SCIENCE III

COURSE: BA LLB SEMESTER III

LECTURER: MS. DEEPIKA GAHATRAJ
MODULE: MODULE I, ORIGIN OF INTERNATIONAL RELATION AS
A DISCIPLINE; NATURE AND SCOPE; APPROACHES TO STUDY

Topic:
Scope of International Relations

SCOPE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

As a subject of study, International Relations is relatively new and developing subject. Its
scope has continuously expanding and developing. The scope of study of International
Relations includes this following major areas or topics

(i) State System: The study of international relations begins with the state system. One
can see a great impact of the state system on international scene since last three centuries.
The individuals organise themselves in sovereign states and through them strive to fulfill
their interests. The incompatible interests of these sovereign states cause conflict, and
international politics is those the natural outcome of the conflict of sovereign states.
Not all states assume to every other national state. Some are significant because of their
neighbourhood, some owing to their military or economic power, whereas some others due
to the racial or cultural links. In brief, inter-state relations are the result of sovereign state
and international relations studies this relations.

(ii) Relations in Conflict and Cooperation: International relations studies relations

between two or more states, which are very often complex and influenced by a variety of
geopolitical, historical, social, religious, ideological, strategic and leadership factors.
Broadly speaking, these relationship have taken the form of cooperation and conflict.
Cooperation and conflict are two side of the same coin.
Inspire of the fact that the were more conflict in international history than corporation Both
Co-Existed throughout the various periods of history International relations is primarily a
study of both conflictual and cooperative inter-state relations.

(iii) General and Diplomatic History: In the initial years of the beginning of the
discipline, its studies were mainly historical. International relations was considered identical
with international or diplomatic history for quite a long time. Under this tradition, certain
major events were taken up for analysis against a historical perspective. After some time,

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historical approach was replaced by many new and better approaches yet historical facts and
events have not lost their relevance to international relations. For example, to study the
recent indo-Pak relations one has to go back into the past to know their historical
background. The study of general and specially the diplomatic history cannot be separate
from International relations.

(iv) Power: In the post Second World War period power became the central theme in the
study of international relations. According to Morgenthau international politics is nothing
else but power Politics and can be realistically understood only if viewed as the concept of
interest defined in terms of of power of a national state.
Power has practical as well as theoretical relevance. It is a major determinant of the policies
of the leading states of the world and of international relations generally. In international
relations one studies the nature, elements and measurement of national power, balance of
power, power equations and limitations on national power. Major limitations on power
which are being studied are:international law, international morality, world public opinion,
balance of power, collective security and international organisations.

(v) International Law and Organisations: International law acts as restriction on

national power and state action. Thus it is accepted as a very important aspect of the study
of international relations. International law contains a set of rules, which regulates and
determines the inter-state behaviour pattern both in time of peace and war. Therefore, a
sound knowledge of international law is must or understanding international relations.
The United Nations, the most comprehensive of all international organisations,
regional arrangements NATO OAS, EEC, and SAARC and other organisations international
or regional character have assumed significant role in the present world. These international
institutions provide forums for cooperation and conflicts resolutions and are governed by
their own rule .These organisations came into existence to for economic, military,
technological or cultural cooperation among member states. Since all these organisations
and institutions have bearings on inter-state relations, the become a subject-matter of
international relations to that extent.

(vi) War and Peace: It is the problem of war and peace around which almost all the studies
of international relations revolve. It is no less a problem than of human survival. Conflict of
interests and struggle supremacy among nations often lead to warfare between to or more
nations or there groups. war is as old a phenomenon as the state itself and its essentially
followed be some sort of peace activity and settlement. War and peace activities are now
studied more systematically in this sphere, the study of international relations is of great
importance for all the mankind and requires interdisciplinary approach and analysis.
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(vii) National Interest. National interest are the objectives of sovereign states.which the
purpose with the help of power and through the instrument of foreign policy. In a way
national interests are the pivot around which international relations clusters. Hartmann
correctly says that international relations as a field of study is focused upon the processes by
which states adjust their national interests to those of other states. Thus, the concern of
national interest becomes central to the Conduct national policies. The stud of national
interest has become useful in analysing the history and conduct of a nation’s foreign policy.

(viii) Ideologies. The twentieth century is also marked by the rise of rival ideologies such
as communism, socialism, capitalism, Nazism, fascism, totalitarianism, liberalism etc. With
conflict political, economic and social systems, ideological issues came to the forefront on
international scene. Since, first World War many of the international problems ha
ideological overtones which further complicated inter-state relations. No doubt for the last
few ears there is the talk of end of ideology and De-idolization of international relations yet
ideologies elements cannot be ignored in the study of international relations. To understand
the contemporary international relations the process of both the idealisation and de-
idealisation has to be taken into account

(ix) Foreign Policy. The sovereign states conduct their foreign relations and interact with
each other through their foreign policies and, thus foreign policies is international politics is
like a charter containing national interests showing the areas of agreement and
disagreement. It explains the ideals with which the state would exert its influence and the
limit of its total effectiveness. Though foreign policies are not the be-all and end-all of
international relations yet they constitute a significant part of its study

(x) Alliances and Groupings. No doubt, most of the major multilateral alliances, including
NATO, the Warsaw Pact, SEATO, CENTO etc. which flourished in the fifties and early
sixties have now lost their relevance yet alliance politics became an important area of study
in the postwar international relations. The study of international relations focused on the
factors that contribute to the growth of such military alliances, the degree of their unity and
their impact on the balance of power situation among the states concerned. There are also
groupings other than military alliances such as communist countries, the free world, the
Islamic world, nonaligned countries, the Arab world, African countries etc. They function
unitedly on many common issues inside and outside the UN. The uniting factors, the degree
of their unity as well as their conflicts with other groups, form the subject matter of
international relations

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(xi) Economic Factors: Economic interests, like defence interests play role in political
transaction among state and thus they assume importance in inter state relations. No one can
ignore in international relations the economic factors such as food problem, economic
planning and development, rates of exchange, tariffs, exchange controls, commodity
agreements, international trade, balance of payments, foreign aid, disparities between
developed and under-developed economies, demand for New International Economic order,
international investment, multinational corporations, international economic agencies such
as the World Bank and international Monetary Fund and many other UN agencies and
regional economic agencies. The Marxist approach to international relations lay stress
purely on economic factors and many non-communist theories also recognise the role of
economic elements in international life. Economic factors are within the scope of
international relations to the extent they influence inter-state relations.

REFERENCE:
https://www.politicalscienceview.com/nature-purpose-and-scope-of-international-relations/