Includes bibliographical references and index.

Thinking about IR theory -- Part I. The intellectual roots of international relations theory -- The ancients : Greek, Chinese, and Indian thought -- Greco-Roman thought and the Middle Ages -- The rise of the state and modern political thought -- Part II. Images of international relations theory -- Realism : the state and balance of power -- Liberalism : interdependence and global governance -- Economic structuralism : global capitalism and postcolonialism -- The English school : international society and Grotian rationalism -- Part III. Interpretive understandings and normative considerations -- Constructivist understandings -- Positivism, critical theory, and postmodern understandings -- Feminist understandings in IR theory -- Green theory and environmental understandings -- Normative IR theory : ethics and morality.

"Long known for its concise presentation of the various images and interpretive understandings of how to approach the complexity of international politics, this edition presents a thoroughly reorganized section on the intellectual precursors who have informed current perspectives on international relations"-- Provided by publisher.