POLI 205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Hugo Grotius, Immanuel Kant, Classical Liberalism
12 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Hugo grotius (1538-1645) wrote about just war, natural law, and the concept of the international society. State of nature: world with no higher authority, each individual can depend only on himself (metaphor). John locke (1632-1704) second treatise on government -> importance of social contact. Immanuel kant (1724-1804) perpetual peace: a philosophical sketch -> conditions for international peace. There is more cooperation than con ict in the world. International politics is a variable-sum game, as opposed to a zero-sum game. States that focuses on cooperation and mutual interest will do better in the international system. Stability in the international system is better conserved with cooperation than con ict. Liberals" unit of analysis is the individual, not the state. Classical liberals believe that human nature is essentially good or altruistic, therefore, people are capable of mutual aid and collaboration. With suf cient education and democratic institutions in place, human nature can become the basis for peaceful and cooperative relationships.
