PSCI 240: Introduction to International Relations (Updated Series) - If War Is Declining, Why Does the World Still Feel So Violent: The Enduring Problem of War in IR

Is the world becoming more peaceful — or just fighting different kinds of wars? In this vide, we consider one of the biggest paradoxes in global politics: the long term decline of interstate war alongside the rise of civil wars, hybrid conflicts, drones, and cyberattacks. You’ll learn how international relations scholars define “war,” why those definitions are political, and how concepts of security have shifted from national to collective to human security. We’ll also explore Johan Galtung’s influential ideas of “positive” and “negative” peace, and see how realism, liberalism, constructivism, feminism, Marxism, and postcolonialism each frame war and peace differently. By the end, you’ll see why understanding war today requires far more than counting battle deaths — it means rethinking what security means, who is protected, and how civilians experience modern conflict.