4.0

credits

Average Course Rating

The course moves from the assumption that Thucydides' Histories can be seen not only as a masterpiece of ancient historiography and classical political philosophy but also as a grand theory of international politics based upon a number of ideal-type characterizations of states and their interactions. Accordingly, the course will aim at identifying such central notions and ideas and organizing them in a comprehensive conceptual system. To that purpose, the course will be divided into two parts. After reading the text, we will focus on the themes that are directly relevant for our theoretical reconstruction. The last session will assess the influence of Thucydides' thought on contemporary international relations theory.