Courses

    This interdisciplinary seminar will explore the latest thinking about the causes of war and terrorism and the ways in which future wars might be avoided and peace preserved. The seminar builds upon work begun more than a decade ago by Professor Moore and his colleagues at the congressionally established U.S. Institute of Peace, where Professor Moore served as the first Chairman of the Board. The course examines classical theory and modern "realist" and "idealist" approaches to the problem of war, as well as newer empirical findings about war. The seminar will discuss "democratic peace," deterrence theory, third party dispute settlement, arms control, balance of power, collective security, and other issues and theories. We will also explore a new approach to international relations: "incentive theory," as developed in Professor Moore's latest book "Solving the War Puzzle" (2004). In addition, the seminar will analyze in depth the origins of major twentieth century wars, including World War I, World War II (Pacific and Atlantic theaters), the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, the Afghanistan War (War on Terror), and the most recent Iraq War. We will also examine the continuing question of how best to encourage the development of democracy. The seminar requires a paper and will be taught around an overview structure of Powerpoint slides and group discussion.