Importance Of International Relations

International relations were introduced since 3,500 BC. Barry Buzan and Richard Little in their book “International system in world history” argue that international relations were present during the ancient Sumerians. During the Sumerian times there were city-states , and between these city-states there would be international relations like trade, peace treaties, etc. The term international relations was introduced during the Peloponnesian war there was international relations shown to us in the “The Melian conference” were we saw the Athenians and the Melians discussing the terms of surrender. International relations were often traced back to the “Peace of Westphalia” which was in 1648. Between 1500-1789 we saw a significant rise in sovereign states which marked the increase of international relations between these states. During the French revolution the idea of an autonomous state was introduced. A rule by the people and for the people, but can international relations is effective without an influential central institution that governs the state?

The Hobbesian/Machiavellian tradition, the Grotian/Lokean tradition and the Kantian tradition are three different traditions, which need to be looked at carefully in order to answer this question. These traditions were formulated in different time periods. They obviously have different perspectives on international relations and have different views on the significance of the law.

Thomas Hobbes was influenced by both Rene Descartes and Galileo Galilei. Thomas Hobbes met them while he was living in France and Italy. He published his famous book “Leviathan” while he was living in England during the civil war in England. In chapter 13 of his book “Leviathan” he talks about the “state ...

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...nditures”. Also this idea was stressed on in the “Bill of Rights” as he argued that “The state of peace must therefore be established, for the suspension of hostilities does not provide the security of peace, and unless this security is pledged by one neighbour to another …, the latter, from whom such security has been requested, can treat the former as an enemy”. Kant argued that states are not the only actor responsible for maintaining peace, but also the citizens that live in each state. As Kant expressed his views on democracy, here we can see that his idea of democracy also involved the people of a state in the decision making of that specific state. Kant’s work on the “Eternal Peace” helped Woodrow Wilson vision in establishing the League of Nations. Also in our modern times his work on the “Eternal Peace” helped also in the establishment of the UN charter.