POLI 243 Lecture Notes - Railways Act 1921, Kenneth Waltz, Human Nature
23 Apr 2013
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Assumptions shape the qualities of each theory. An assumption is something we take to be true. We assume something to be true, because we know it is not always true. How do we test an assumption: if the theory is good, the assumptions are useful, it the theory is bad, the assumptions are not useful, and therefore you need to change your assumptions. By paradigm: can mean an example, can also mean an approach. Social sciences typically divide their subjects into levels, depending on the phenomena they are studying. In international relations, we can also organize theories by where we locate the key actors. Early 1900"s: political science was emerging as it"s own discipline in academia, political economy split between political science. Econ-wealth where it comes from and how its created. Why do wars occur: flourished international law to prevent future wars from occurring. Idealists & utopians: imagine the future where war is non-existent.
