This spring, IWP is launching two new courses, “Diplomacy: Challenges of the 21st Century” (IWP 661), taught by Professors Jack Tierney and Juliana Geran Pilon with Ambassador Louise V. Oliver, and “Surprise, Warning, and Deception: An Introduction” (IWP 662), taught by Professors David L. Thomas and Robert W. Stephan.
“Diplomacy: Challenges of the 21st Century” will examine the conceptual and practical aspects of diplomacy in historical context, with particular emphasis on new challenges especially in the aftermath of the Cold War and the technological revolution of the past two decades. The initial part of the course will focus primarily on the political philosophy debates that are relevant to the meaning of relevant concepts, such as power, war, peace, negotiation, justice, sovereignty and legitimacy.
The course will then explore specific types of diplomacy, including multilateral, public, cultural, and other forms of what is sometimes called – ambiguously and confusingly – “soft power.” Some of the readings will fall into the category of theory of diplomacy, while others will illustrate the practice of diplomacy.
This course reflects the Institute’s holistic educational approach to the study of statecraft, and reinforces the concept of diplomacy as one instrument amongst many that are available to policymakers. It explains to students how the pursuit of diplomacy is inextricably linked to the use of all other forms of national power (notably the credible threat of force, good intelligence, and effective strategic communication).
“Surprise, Warning, and Deception: An Introduction” examines the problems of surprise, warning, and deception in the modern world with exclusive reference to state actors. The course does not address the problems of surprise, warning, and deception as regards terrorist and cyber attacks. The course seeks to assess the problems of surprise, warning, and deception with respect to their potential and actual impact on US Intelligence and national security strategy and policy. The course will approach the interrelated issues of warning, surprise, and deception from the following perspectives: historical, operational, analytical, cognitive, and national-strategic.