GOVT E-1731 The Future of War: Conflict and Order in the Twenty-First Century

This course explores the future of war, and considers how both the reasons and the ways states go to war are changing. The course considers questions such as: How and why have states gone to war in the past? What were considered legitimate reasons for going to war? How will violence in the international system be governed in a world where norms about the use of force have changed? Specific topics to be addressed include the problem of military force for humanitarian intervention, the future of nuclear deterrence, the dilemma of preventive war, coercive approaches to nuclear nonproliferation, and ethical issues related to military conflicts in failed states or with nonstate actors. (4 credits)