Short course
War and the Liberal World Order
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
21/01/2027 - 25/03/202719:00 - 21:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
War has always been part of the human condition, but for more than a century all sorts of liberals claimed that they could establish prosperous and just societies with democratic governments that would no longer willingly take up arms. Now, though, liberalism is in trouble with voters and wars seem to be getting more frequent and more destructive. In this class, we will try to understand why wars flourish and liberal governments wither. We'll look at theories about the profound and more immediates causes of war, the various liberal plans for to improve human behaviour enough to eliminate those causes, and the post-War history of liberal triumphs followed by ongoing decline.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Thursday 21 January 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Thursdays, 7.00-9.00pm.
Week 1: Big theories about war, from glory to the death instinct
Week 2: Justifications for war, from affronted honour to humanitarian rescue
Week 3: When (if ever) is war just?
Week 4: Liberal ideas, especially about war and peace
Week 5: Liberals at and after war, from the War to end all wars to the Balance of terror
Week 6: The preaceful liberal order: (a certain) democracy, the benign administrative state and its extensions, ecological concern, migration, enlightened patriotism, internationalism
Week 7: The liberal world order’s great decades
Week 8: The liberal world order’s terrible decades
Week 9: Is liberalism dead in the new US and the new China?
Week 10: What comes next? Is there an arc of history?
Course aims
Explore why the ideas and practices of liberals have not been successful at stopping war.
Course objectives
1) To consider the motivations for war and the liberal ways of organising the world
2) To explore the success and subequent failure of the liberal rules-based global order
Learning outcomes
1) Students should learn about – and evaluate – various theories about why people go to war.
2) Students should learn about the history of liberal attempts to promote peace.
3) Students should learn about the debates over the principles of liberal thinking, especially about war.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Teaching methods
The class will be a mixture of informal lecture, with questions and comments encouraged, and carefully curated discussion. Students will hopefully bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives, so that they can learn from one another.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Mr Edward Hadas
Edward Hadas is a Research Fellow at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University. He also teaches philosophy, economics, and social theory to visiting American undergraduates. He is the author of Money, Finance, Reality, Morality (2022) and Counsels of Imperfection: Thinking through Catholic Social Teaching (2020).
Academic credit
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)
Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.
Digital certificate of completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- The Delicate Balance of Terror / Albert Wohlstetter
- On War / Carl von Clausewitz
- From Just War to Modern Peace Ethics / Heinz Gerhard Justenhoven and William A Barbieri (eds.)
- Bound to Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Liberal International Order / John J. Mearsheimer
Module code: O26P498SOW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
