International Law is nested within a broader context of international politics and at the same time shapes this context. In recent years international legal scholars and political scientists have increasingly worked together to explore these connections and interactions. This seminar is part of that movement. In the seminar we will explore the broad international political context for international law and the ways in which international law molds international politics. We will examine the new interdisciplinary literature on international law and relations. We will pay particular attention to theories about the formation and transformation of the state system and to such theories as game and regime theory that illuminate interactions among nation states. We will analyze how these theories treat the substantive issues of war and peace, the growth and distribution of the world product, the protection of the environment, and the promotion of human rights and human dignity.