International relations is a multidisciplinary academic field dedicated to the systematic study of interactions among sovereign states and various non-state actors within the global system, analyzing the patterns, causes, and consequences of conflict, cooperation, and other transnational phenomena to understand international politics and global affairs.
Ontological type
Core Theories
Research Methods
Key Subfields
Institutional Security Order
1921 - 1957
Systemic Formalization
1958 - 1986
Normative Governance and Legitimacy
1987 - 2024
Institutional Security Order era
Quincy Wright [1] was affiliated with Harvard University [3] and Princeton University [4] during the Institutional Security Order. Wright [1] wrote Changes in the Conception of War [6] in 1924 and When Does War Exist? [5] in 1932, contributions that advanced conflict analysis and policy methodology by clarifying how war is defined and when it begins, thereby informing institutional security decision-making and containment thinking. John W. Wheeler-Bennett [2] has no listed institutional affiliations in this era. His 1930 The Soviets in World Affairs [7] analyzed Soviet foreign policy and its impact on the structure of international relations, informing understanding of great-power competition and alliance management within formal security institutions.
Systemic Formalization era
Johan Galtung [1], a leading figure in systemic peace research, was associated with Princeton University [3] and Columbia University [4] during this era. His 1969 paper 'Violence, Peace, and Peace Research' [7] helped establish peace research as an empirical field by linking violence to structural and systemic factors, anchoring formal, theory-driven analysis of international outcomes in this era. Robert O. Keohane [2], affiliated with Harvard University [5] and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [6], played a pivotal role in extending systemic theory in this era. His 1984 work 'After Hegemony: Cooperation and Discord in the World Political Economy' [8] advanced the argument that institutions can enable cooperation under anarchy by shaping preferences and reducing transaction costs, a cornerstone of systemic formalization in international relations.
Normative Governance and Legitimacy era
G. John Ikenberry [1] is associated with Stanford University [3] and Johns Hopkins University [4] in this normative governance era. His contributions include Liberal Leviathan [8] and The End of Liberal International Order? [7], as well as Soft Power [6], collectively advancing how norms, legitimacy, and institutional design sustain and reform the liberal international order. Joseph S. Nye [2] is associated with Harvard University [5] and Stanford University [3] in this era. His key contribution in Soft Power [6] highlighted how attraction and soft power shape international legitimacy and governance within the normative governance framework.