International law regulates the behavior of states in accordance with international norms. This seminar will analyze the ideas underpinning the modern international law system. It will look at the formative influence of key writers on the international system and the nation state such as Grotius, Pufedorf, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Vattel, Kant, Marx, Kelsen, Hart, Rawls, Sen, and Okin. Topics will include theories of sovereignty, war and humanitarian intervention; colonialism, Eurocentrism and self-determination; theories of international economic aid and development; nationalism, globalization, and expansionism; theories of human rights; women, race, religion, and minorities.