Teaching

This lecture course is an introduction to the systematic study of international security, asking and critically analyzing a series of big puzzles in the field. Why do arms races and wars repeatedly occur, and why is there no world government to resolve these disputes? Why is war between states more common today than at any point since 1945? Why do so many modern wars seem like they have no end in sight? What motivates security competition among major powers, such as the United States, Russia, and China, today? Students will learn about the causes of war, nuclear deterrence, alliances, covert action, just war theory, and asymmetric warfare, among other topics.

What do recent trends in the use of force, including increases in the onset and severity of armed conflict, mean for the sustainability of the post-1945 international legal and normative order? This major seminar explores the intersection of armed conflict and international law, aiming to teach students about influential developments in the governance of war, and how to critically analyze major challenges to legal regimes regulating the use of military force. 

The course is divided into three sections. The course begins with an examination of the theoretical, normative, and historical foundations of international laws concerning the resort to and conduct of force. Next, the course turns to the empirical study of these regimes, investigating, for example, whether efforts to ban aggression reduced territorial conquest and whether the laws of war alleviate humanitarian suffering among its signatories. Finally, the course will consider the future of international law, with an emphasis on the changing nature of technology, the rise of asymmetric warfare, and great power competition. 

During the semester, each student will produce a briefing book on one ongoing armed conflict or post-conflict zone of their choice, as well as write and present an original research paper with implications for debates about the future trajectory of regulating the use of force. Seminar meetings will include student presentations, discussion of assigned readings, exercises applying course material to real-world policy scenarios, and in-class writing reflections.