Theory & Methods

Autonomous Weapons Systems: Uncertainty and Anticipatory Norm-building

by Berenike Prem | Dec 1, 2022 | International Norms in a Time of Uncertainty, International Organization, Microblog, Security, Theory & Methods

Since 2014 the international community has considered the issue of autonomy in weapons systems under the framework of the United Nations (UN) Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Despite hopes that 2022 would see some kind of breakthrough, the 2019 eleven guiding principles remains the only international agreement regarding lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS or AWS). Many believe that action is long overdue. The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots argues that: With ongoing...

Making norms for uncertain times to come

by Nils Stockmann | Nov 28, 2022 | International Norms in a Time of Uncertainty, International Organization, Theory & Methods

At the 1939 World Fair in New York City, the big attraction was "Futurama," an exhibition put on by the U.S. car manufacturer General Motors. Every visitor to Futurama received a souvenir — a small...

Whither norms research in times of uncertainty? A Symposium

by Sassan Gholiagha, Johanna Speyer, Jan Wilkens & Carmen Wunderlich | Nov 25, 2022 | International Norms in a Time of Uncertainty, Theory & Methods

In a world of multiple and overlapping crises, can norms and rules-based institution still create order amidst uncertainty? Do existing norms and frameworks for international cooperation enjoy sufficient legitimacy to help us navigate the interacting and concatenating effects of crises? A new symposium explores the question: “Whither norms (research) in times of uncertainty?”

Podcast Recommendations

by Dan Nexon | Nov 16, 2022 | Academia, Other Podcasts, Security, Theory & Methods

Looking for some podcast episodes to give a listen to? I’ve got suggestions.

More Theory & Methods Posts

Why Would Putin Sabotage Nord Stream?

by Dan Nexon | Sep 30, 2022 | Security, States & Regions, Theory & Methods

Initial speculation about Nord Stream reveals both the strengths and limitations of using international-relations models to make sense of unfolding events

The More Things Change…

by Dan Nexon | Sep 17, 2022 | Theory & Methods

Some more excerpts from G. Loews Dickinson’s writings on international affairs.

Our syllabi should be full of surprises

by Eleonora Mattiacci | Sep 14, 2022 | Academia, Security, Theory & Methods

It’s no surprise that current events regularly lead us to update our syllabi. That doesn’t mean we can’t make “surprise” an important feature of our courses.

6+1 Questions about Social Positioning and International Order Contestation in Early Modern Southeast Asia

by Colin Chia | Sep 12, 2022 | 6+1 Questions, International Organization, States & Regions, Theory & Methods

Rather than accept subordination to the Ming and Qing, Southeast Asian states contested Chinese international ordering in the early modern period.

What Walt and Mearsheimer Get Wrong About the Security Dilemma

by Eric Van Rythoven | Aug 31, 2022 | Academia, Security, Theory & Methods

The security dilemma plays a central role in Walt and Mearsheimer’s reading of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But what if they get the security dilemma wrong?

To Fear or Love Multipolarity?

by Van Jackson | Aug 13, 2022 | Security, Theory & Methods, US Foreign Policy

The global distribution of material power changes from time to time. It’s something that happens, not something we should spend any amount of time pursuing or avoiding. I say this as someone who thinks the United States has done questionable good and much unquestionable harm with its former status as a unipolar power, so this is not a proxy argument about US foreign policy. You might be wondering who wants multipolarity, and the answer is lots of folks. Most versions of the coalition favoring foreign policy restraint implicitly seek a multipolar world....

Talking Great-Power Competition in the Heart of Empires Past

by Dan Nexon | Jul 17, 2022 | Academia, Featured, Security, Theory & Methods, US Foreign Policy

It turns out that it’s hard to write a roundup of happenings at the Duck of Minerva when there aren’t many to speak of. Much of that’s on me. What’s my excuse? Well, the kid finally contracted COVID. The rest of my family succumbed in short order. So that was fun. On the upside, none of us get seriously ill. On the downside, we got to experience post-COVID fatigue, with a helping of mental fog on the side. We recovered just in time to take our long-planned trip to Thessaloniki. The official purpose of the trip: to participate in 2022 European Workshops in International...

Was anarchy always what states made of it?

by Dan Nexon | Jun 26, 2022 | Security, Theory & Methods

Like a lot of academics, I love Google n-grams, but not as much as the digitized archive Google uses to produce it. It’s a great warren of rabbit holes – even better than wikipedia – and I often wind up following one somewhere or other. My latest journey begins with realism. Steven Walt’s recent Foreign Policy entry (“Why Do People Hate Realism So Much?”) touched off a round of online debate, including entries by Seva Gunitsky, Paul Poast, Patrick Porter, Ken Schultz and others. My daughter suggested that I weigh in. I even began to write a rather lengthy teardown of the kerfuffle. I started...

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