Negotiating Sovereignty: Japanese Power and the Non-Proliferation Treaty
Clear asymmetries of power existed between Japan and the hegemonic Cold War powers during the Non-Proliferation Treaty negotiations, yet each party received concessions.
Principles or Power: Mussolini’s Invasion of Ethiopia
Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia and the failure of the League of Nations to prevent it is best explained through the liberal school of International Relations.
Is the International System Racist?
Historically grounded discourses continue to legitimise and naturalise racism and inequality in the international system.
A Critical Reflection on Sovereignty in International Relations Today
Critiquing the Hobbesian state of nature through the postcolonial lens highlights Western ontological assumptions of sovereignty in International Relations.
Historical Institutionalism Meets IR: Explaining Patterns in EU Defence Spending
Historical institutionalist concepts explain the European Union’s recent increase in defence spending through an analysis of past events and critical junctures.
A Constructivist Approach to Chinese Interest Formation in the South China Sea
Analysis focusing mainly on security, power and wealth in the case of the South China Sea would be fatal, as this approach would lead straight into Thucydides’ Trap.
Capitalism and the Rise of New Slavery: From Slave Trade to Slave in Trade
To confront new slavery, we need to realise the paradoxes in the West and start questioning basic ideas including sovereignty, freedom and realism as an ideology.
An Ethical Dilemma: How Classical Realism Conceives Human Nature
Classical realism’s understanding of human nature renders an imperfect depiction of reality that fails to incorporate progress or metaphysical development.
Critics of Liberal Peace: Are Hybridity & Local Turn Approaches More Effective?
Despite legitimate critiques of the liberal approach to peace, local and hybrid approaches have failed to present a compelling alternative to the present order.
The Gouzenko Affair and the Development of Canadian Intelligence
Canadian intelligence reached its sophistication as result of the Gouzenko Affair, which triggered a ramp up of counter-espionage and Signals Intelligence capabilities.
