Geopolitical Thought - JPM620

• Title: Geopolitical Thought
• Czech title: Geopolitical Thought
• Guaranteed by: Department of Political Science (23-KP)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2016 to 2019
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 30 / 30 (30)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: RNDr. Jan Kofroň, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): RNDr. Jan Kofroň, Ph.D.
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Aim of the course

Last update: Mgr. Bohumil Doboš, Ph.D. (11.08.2020)

Students will receive a wider understanding of approaches to geopolitics from geographic deterministic to analytical to critical. They will be capable of applying these frameworks to their study of concrete processes and events.

Course completion requirements

Last update: Mgr. Bohumil Doboš, Ph.D. (11.08.2020)

Short paper - 50%

Students will prepare 4 short papers (1.300 - 2.000 words each) applying a concrete approach to geopolitics on a contemporary issue of international politics. The papers will follow the division of the course into 4 main blocs and students will choose one concrete approach from each bloc. The deadline for each paper is a week after the whole block was covered in lectures.

Oral exam - 50%

The oral exam will be based on lectures and readings. 

 

Evaluation is performed in accordance with the Dean’s Provision.

 

Literature

Last update: Mgr. Bohumil Doboš, Ph.D. (01.08.2023)

Required readings (available in Moodle):

Agnew, J. - Globalization and Sovereignty (Chapter 1) 

Brzezinski, Z. - The Grand Chessboard (Introduction, Chapter 1, 2)

Cohen, S. B. - Geopolitics (Chapters 1,2,3)

De Seversky, A. - Victory Through Air Power (Chapters 1, 12)

Dolman, E. C. - Astropolitik (Chapters 1,2)

Dussuoy, G. - Systemic Geopolitics (article)

Huntington, S. P. - The Clash of Civilizations (Chapters 1, 2, 6, 7, 11)

Kaplan, R. D. - The Revenge of Geography (Chapter 2)

Kaplan, R. D. - The Coming Anarchy (article)

Luttwak, E. N. - From Geopolitics to Geoeconomics (article)

Khanna, P. - Connectography (Chapter 1,2)

MacKinder, H. J. - The Geographical Pivot of History (article)

Mahan, A. T. - The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (Introductory, Chapter 1)

Ó Tuathail - Critical Geopolitics (Introduction, Chapter 1,2)

Rosiere, S., Jones, R. - Teichopolitics (article)

Routledge, P. - Anti-Geopolitics IN: Agnew et al. - A Companion to Political Geography.

Stogiannos, A. - The Genesis of Geopolitics and Friedrich Ratzel (Chapters 1,2,3)

Tilly, C. - The Formation of National States in Western Europe (Chapter 1)

Tilly, C. - Coercion, Capital and European States (Chapter 1)

Wallerstein, I. - World-System Analysis: An Introduction (Chapter 1,2,3,4)

 

Recommended literature (list of readings in Moodle)

Syllabus

Last update: Mgr. Bohumil Doboš, Ph.D. (31.08.2020)

Introduction

Bloc I - Geopolitics as an extension of geography:

a) Geographic determinism - from German school to Dugin

b) Domination through domains - from Mahan to Dolman

c) Anglo-Saxon tradition - MacKidner and Spykman

 

Bloc II - Geopolitics as an extension of the environment:

a) Anglo-Saxon School - Brzezinski, Cohen, Kaplan, and others

b) Evolutionary school - Tilly and Wallerstein

 

Bloc III - Geopolitics as an extension of language:

a) Critical geopolitics and anti-geopolitics - turn to language and activism

b) Geopolitics and perceptions - actors´ perception of space

c) Systemic geopolitics - combination of critical and classical

 

Bloc IV - Geopolitics and networks:

a) Geo-economics and post-colonialism - economy, space and power

b) Connectography vs. Teichopolitics - networks and borders in the 21st century

 

Geopolitics and practice