Today's Lecture

We discussed at the end of class the frustration of reading IR theory that never is able to give a comprehensive look at the dynamics of the international order. Just because an individual theory cannot give us a comprehensive understanding of how states relate to one and other, does not mean that it cannot help to further understand a given situation. It is important to examine where theories overlap and where they contrast in order to use them effectively. Today we learned about the neo-neo conflict. Having the knowledge to compare and contrast these two theories is more important than understanding the theories on their own because only after understanding biased perspects can you consciously see your own bias. Every flaw that you find in theory is something that you can recognize when attempting to assess a real situation.