International Relations Theory in the Cyber Age
MIT OpenCourseWare offers the materials for this graduate-level political science course examining how cyberspace reshapes international relations theory. Lectures and readings work through realism and neorealism, institutionalism and liberalism, constructivism, and systems theory and lateral pressure, testing each framework against the distinctive features of cyber conflict and cooperation. The course asks whether existing international relations theory can account for state and non-state behavior online, or whether cyberspace demands a customized theoretical approach altogether. Materials include the syllabus, reading lists, and assignments used at MIT, with graduate students expected to extend the material through independent research. The course covers levels of analysis from individual actors to the international system, giving a structured foundation for thinking about cyber conflict, deterrence, and governance through established international relations lenses rather than treating cyber issues as a purely technical problem.