[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-40378-en":3,"doc-seo-40378-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},40378,8796095461564,"Liam","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d",8,"Research & Report","Introducing the English School in International Relations Theory","Introducing the English School in international relations theory explains a holistic framework for studying international and world history through social structures of international orders. It centers on three interrelated concepts—international system, international society, and world society—using Hedley Bull’s definitions to distinguish power-conditioned anarchy, shared norms and institutions, and identities focused on individuals. The discussion also clarifies the difference between institutions and organisations, introduces primary versus pseudo-institutions, and addresses key distinctions and criticisms between system and society.","Introducing the English School in International Relations Theory  \nWritten by Yannis Stivachtis  \nThis PDF is auto-generated for reference only. As such, it may contain some conversion errors and/or missing information. For all formal use please refer to the official version on the website, as linked below.  \nIntroducing the English School in International Relations  \nTheory  \n[https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/23/introducing-the-english-school-in-international-relations-theory/](https://www.e-ir.info/2018/02/23/introducing-the-english-school-in-international-relations-theory/)  \nYAN NIS ST IVACHTIS, FEB 23 2018  \nThis is an excerpt from International Relations Theory–an E-IR Foundations beginner’s textbook.  \nDownload your free copy here.  \nThe English school provides the basis for the study of international and world history in terms of the social structures of international orders. Unlike many theories that claim a certain sector of the subject of International Relations, the English school provides a holistic approach to the subject, attempting to see the world as a whole. English school theory is built around establishing distinctions between three key concepts: international system, international society and world society. By doing so it opens up a new space in IR theory and offers a middle ground between the opposing theories of realism and liberalism.  \nThe basics of the English school  \nThe English school is built around three key concepts: international system , international society and world society. Hedley Bull (1977, 9–10) defined the international system as being formed ‘when two or more states have sufficient contact between them, and have sufficient impact on one another’s decisions to cause them to behave as parts of awhole.’ According to this definition, the international system is mainly about power politics among states whose actions are conditioned by the structure of international anarchy. An international society exists when a group of likeminded states ‘conceive themselves to be bound by a common set of rules in their relations with one another, and share in the working of common institutions’(Bull 1977, 13) . In other words, international society is about the creation and maintenance of shared norms, rules and institutions. Finally, world society is more fundamental than international society because ‘the ultimate units of the great society of all mankind are not states … but individual human beings’(Bull 1977, 21) . Thus, world society transcends the state system and takes individ- uals, non-state actors and ultimately the global population as the focus of global societal identities and arrangements. It is important to note here that in the English school the term ‘institution’ is different to the term ‘organisation’.  \nAccording to English school thought, ‘institutions’ refer to long-term practices among states (such as diplomacy, law and war) rather than to international bureaucratic structures (organisations) that may be established to facilitate state interaction. To refer to international organisations, the English school uses the term ‘pseudo-institutions’ or‘secondary institutions’ to show that the effectiveness of international organisations depends on the function of an international society’s primary institutions.  \nThe distinction between an international system and an international society helps us distinguish the pattern and character of relations among and between certain states and groups of states. For example, historically there was an essential difference between the type of relations among the European states and the type of their relations with the Ottoman Empire. Relations among the European states reflected the existence of a European international society, while relations between the European states and the Ottoman Empire reflected the existence of an international system. Likewise, the interaction among the European Union’s member states reflects the existence of an international ","cbCaimOV5s7QGKkg","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaimOV5s7QGKkg","pdf",184611,3,1,5,"English","en",105,"# The English school and its key concepts\n## Three foundational concepts: system, society, world society\n## Institutions vs. organisations and primary vs. secondary institutions\n## International system vs. international society: distinctions and criticism\n## Regional societies and the limits of universal society","[{\"question\":\"What are the three key concepts of the English School in international relations theory?\",\"answer\":\"The English School is built around international system, international society, and world society, distinguishing how states, shared rules, and broader human-based identities operate.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the English School define an international system?\",\"answer\":\"An international system exists when two or more states have sufficient contact and impact on one another’s decisions, producing behavior shaped by the structure of international anarchy.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the difference between institutions and organisations in the English School?\",\"answer\":\"Institutions are long-term practices among states (e.g., diplomacy, law, war), while organisations are bureaucratic structures; international organisations are framed as secondary or pseudo-institutions depending on the effectiveness of primary institutions in an international society.\"}]",1783310795,13,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"introducing-the-english-school-in-international-relations-theory","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,53,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,50],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",{"item":51,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":52},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/introducing-the-english-school-in-international-relations-theory/40378/",4,{"url":51,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":41,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-14","2026-07-06",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"What are the three key concepts of the English School in international relations theory?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"The English School is built around international system, international society, and world society, distinguishing how states, shared rules, and broader human-based identities operate.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"How does the English School define an international system?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"An international system exists when two or more states have sufficient contact and impact on one another’s decisions, producing behavior shaped by the structure of international anarchy.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"What is the difference between institutions and organisations in the English School?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"Institutions are long-term practices among states (e.g., diplomacy, law, war), while organisations are bureaucratic structures; 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