IR is a multidisciplinary field

Choose the three main theories of IR

Analogies from history are absolute as are one's theoretical orientations.

Plato: people who govern should be the ones superior in ways of philosophy and war.

Hobbes: in Leviathan, described life in a state of nature as selfish. Individuals and society can escape from the state of nature through a unitary state (hegemon).

Rousseau: The solution to the state of nature is the social contract - small communities where the "general will" is realized.

Kant: Accepts humans are selfish, but argues that international cooperation (collective gain) is what is best for their individual gain.

Suggest hypotheses regarding patterned actions, test them, and try to explain and predict human behavior.

Focus on the discourse analysis- how ideas shape identities, analyzing culture, norms, procedures, and social practices. Discourse changes over time.