The discipline of IR has been largely shaped by Western thinkers and interpretations of historical events. In this Western story of IR, the modern international system emerged in 1648 following the peace of Westphalia, while the discipline originated in 1919, following World War One (WWI). Emerging scholarship in IR problematises the Eurocentrism of these 1648 and 1919 narratives. Building on a range of non-Western thinkers, this scholarship problematises the ideological uses of narratives of progress and civilisation associated with the European Enlightenment, modernity and the Westphalian peace. This scholarship challenges Western interpretations of historical events that shaped the discipline, such as WWI, as well as omissions of key historical developments from the Global South. Furthermore, it shows that reinterpreting IR’s past is not only an exercise in intellectual or disciplinary history, but also fundamental to understanding contemporary and future issues in world politics.  

Against this background, this module’s overall aim is to provide a new perspective on mainstream and critical IR theories through deconstructing their Eurocentrism and proposing avenues for non-Western interpretations of the discipline’s past, present and future. Specifically, these interpretations develop in two stages. First (in weeks 1-5), the module aims to engage the students with alternative theory and history of the ‘Westphalian narrative’, the Enlightenment project and key historical developments in IR. Second (in weeks 7-11) the module aims to engage the students with contemporary issues and debates in IR where such alternative theory and history have relevant applications. These include the debate on IR’s Eurocentrism, race and racism in IR, imperial humanitarianism and the War on Terror, conditions of dialogue in IR and the prospects of decolonising the discipline.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of leading non-Western interpretations in IR’s past, present and future.
2. Acquire the analytical tools to scrutinise Eurocentric and racist narratives of IR.
3. Demonstrate awareness of the global interconnectedness between the Western and non-Western worlds.
4. Develop various employability skills, such as teamwork, video-analysis, op-ed analysis, speech analysis, research and writing skills.

The module will be delivered primarily through large and small group face-to-face sessions.  Digital learning activities may be included to support face-to-face delivery.  Full details on the delivery mode for this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the module.

• Video-analysis, op-ed analysis, speech analysis, research and writing skills.
• Participation in small and large group discussion.
• Engaging critically with theoretical materials.
• Drawing on both historical and theoretical or conceptual texts to analyse IR theory.
• Working independently and as part of a team.

The module will be assessed by:

• Book review  (20%)
• Essay (80%)

If you fail the module, you will be required to resit failed/outstanding assessment components.  Resit assessments will be held in the Resit Examination period, prior to the start of the following academic session.  You will be notified of your eligibility to resit modules after the Examining Board in the Summer period.

W1 – Introduction – contesting the Westphalian narrative

• De Carvalho, B. et al (2011) ‘The Big Bangs of IR: The Myths That Your Teachers Still Tell You about 1648 and 1919’ Millennium, 39(30), pp.735-758
• Kayaoglu, T. (2010) ‘Westphalian Eurocentrism in International Relations Theory’ International Studies Review, 12(2), pp.193-217

W2 – The critique of the Enlightenment - science and objectivity

• Fanon, F. ([1959] 1965) A Dying Colonialism (New York: Grove Press), chapter 4 ‘Medicine and Colonialism’.
• Césaire, A. (1972) Discourse on Colonialism (New York: Monthly Press), p. 54-64

W3 – Du Bois on the first World War & Wilson(ianism)

• W. E. B Du Bois (1915) ‘The African Roots of the War’ Atlantic Monthly 115

W4 – Fanon, the Algerian War of Independence, decolonisation & Cold War

• Fanon, F. (1967) Toward the African Revolution (New York: Grove Press), chapter 14 ‘The Algerian War and Man’s Liberation’.
• Fanon, F. (1961) Wretched of the Earth (New York: Grove Press), pp.95-106 ‘Violence in the International Context’.

W5 – Said on imperialism and the question of Palestine

• Said, E. (1993) Culture and Imperialism (New York: Random House), chapter 1.
• Said, E. (1979) The Question of Palestine (New York: Random House), introduction

Week 6 Reading week

• [II] Contemporary issues & debates in IR

W7 – From critique of Enlightenment to IR’s Eurocentrism

• John Hobson, The Eurocentric Conception of World Politics: Western International Theory, 1760–2010 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012) — see introduction and choose one chapter between ch.8, 9 and 10

W8 – Debate on race / racism in IR

• Olivia Rutazibwa (2016) ‘From the Everyday to IR: In Defence of the Strategic Use of the R-word, Postcolonial Studies, 19(2), pp.191-200
• John Hobson (2016) ‘The ‘R-Word’ and ‘E-Word’ Definitional Controversies: A Dialogue with My Five Interlocutors’ Postcolonial Studies, 19(2), pp.210-226

W9 – Imperial humanitarianism, War on Terror and the prospect of global justice

• Wilkins, P. (2021) ‘Saving the souls of white folk: Humanitarianism as white supremacy’ Security Dialogue, 52(S), pp.98—106
• Morefield, J. and Porter, P. (2020) ‘Revenge of the Forever Wars’ New Statesman, available at: https://www.newstatesman.com/world/2020/06/revenge-forever-wars

W10 – Problematising the ‘great debates’ & conditions of dialogue in IR

• Rosenberg, J. (2016) ‘International relations in the prison of political science’ International Relations, 30(2). pp.127-153
• Haro Karkour and Dominik Giese (2020) ‘Bringing Morgenthau’s ethics in: pluralism, incommensurability and the turn from fragmentation to dialogue in IR’ European Journal of International Relations, 26(4), pp.1106-1128

W11 – Decolonising the discipline? Teaching IR in the twenty-first century

• Isaac Kamola (2020) ‘IR, the Critic, and the World: From Reifying the Discipline to Decolonising the University’ Millennium, online first, pp.1-20.
• Lucas Milders and Harmonie Toros (2020) ‘Violent International Relations’ European Journal of International Relations, 26(S1), pp.116-139