Philosophy of the State and of International Relations

Objectives

To promote in the students the analytical, critical and evaluative tools specific of Political Philosophy with a view to accomplish a triple objective. Firstly, a better understanding of the contemporary world and the challenges and opportunities facing it. Secondly, the submission of the contemporary categories with which we organize and make sense of the world to the scrutiny of critical analysis and an evaluative judgement, resorting, in this task, to the proposals presented by Western civilization throughout time. Thirdly, the configuration of alternative models of social and political organization, both domestic and international, better able to correspond to the requirements of the contemporary world. To explore the idea of State as the form of the political of modernity and the system of international relations ensuing form it.

To understand the success in which the state model of political organization translated into for Europe, and the West, since the dawn of modernity

Program

The Human condition and Political Philosophy: personality and solidarity;

Forms of the political and of social relations. Politics and International Relations;

The State as form of the political of modernity and the emergence of International Relations as a scientific discipline;

The sovereign State and International Relations: power, democracy, solidarity and justice;

The ideas of the State, Politics and International Relations: emergence, consolidation and contemporary crisis;

Crisis of the State and relevance for the future;

The State and International Relations: empirical realism, utopia and cosmopolitanism;

Crisis of the State and supra and infra-national integration: interests and values. The European Union ad a form of the political and globalization.

Teaching Methodologies

The curricular unit combines two teaching methodologies. A) The presentation by the professor, in dialogue with the students, of contents (fundamental texts, authors and problematics). B) A tutorial dimension. Students shall be invited to autonomous research and regular critical presentation and defense, oral and written, of the results achieved.

Evaluation will also know two dimensions. On the one hand, the participation in the working sessions, including the discussion of the work developed by students. On the other hand, at the beginning of the Semester each student shall adopt a research theme to which she or he will dedicate special attention and in the framework of which develop a research project, to be presented and discussed with the colleagues. In terms of final grades, the participation in the working sessions will be worth 40% and the writing, presentation and defense of a research paper, the remaining 60%.

Bibliography

Aristóteles, Política, Lisboa, Vega, 1998;

AMARAL, Carlos E. Pacheco, Do Estado soberano ao Estado das autonomias. Regionalismo, subsidiariedade e autonomia para uma nova ideia de Estado, Porto, Afrontamento, 1998;

AUGBURG, Valérie, Gérard Bossuat and Giles Scott – Smith, European Community, Atlantic Community, Paris, Soleb, 2008;

ENES, José, Portugal Atlântico, Lajes do Pico, Companhia das Ilhas, 2015;

FORET, François, De l’État à l’Union Européenne, Bruxelles, Éditions de l’Université de Bruxelles, 2015;

HACHE, Jean Didier, coord., Quel statut pour les îles d’Europe? Paris, Harmattan, 2000;

HOBBES, Thomas, Leviatã, Lisboa, Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda, 2010;

HUNTINGTON, Samuel, O choque das civilizações e a mudança na ordem mundial, Lisboa, Gradiva, 1999;

KANT, Immanuel, A paz perpétua e outros opúsculos, Lisboa, Edições 70.