Essay Plan's - The State, Sovereignty And Imperialism + International Organisations And Peace

Critically analyse the ‘1648 thesis’. Answers must engage with Bhambra’s (2018) chapter ‘The State: Postcolonial Histories of the Concept.’

Structure Of The Essay:

  • Introduction - Define Terms/Concepts, Debate Different Perspectives/Points You Will Discuss + Direction - Discuss what you hope to conclude to say/your opinion.

  • Paragraphs (Aim for 5-6 in total, try and be somewhat balanced)

→ P - Give your point/state a point of the thinker.

→ E - Give an example, through the thinker in the question, case study/current affairs, other thinkers.

→ A - Analyse the evidence/points, explain why the evidence is significant/insignificant, be critical (positively and negatively).

→ C - Give a counter argument of your point/thinker.

→ E - Back that counter point with evidence and a little bit of explanation.

→ L - Link back to the question/point at hand.

  • Conclusion - Reiterate the direction of your argument and summarise your arguments in an evaluative way.

Section Of The Essay:

Contents:

Introduction

Point 1 - The 1648 thesis implies that the nation-state was created in Europe as a result of the Treaty of Westphalia, yet fails to acknowledge those same states that took part in the domination of non-Western states.

Evidence 1 - Bhambra - “The period that is seen to give rise to the emergence of the modern state is precisely that period of expansion that saw these states consolidate their domination over other parts of the world.” Likewise →Pourmokhtari → The result has been to consign the former to a zone of ‘Otherness’, in which sovereignty has become synonymous with inferiority and difference vis-a-vis the Occident.’

Counter Point/Evidence 1 → Other thinkers such as Osiander may argue that the state was not derived from the 1648 thesis and that we should focus on the emergence of industrial capitalism and the French revolution. - Yet this argument ignores the actions of these states as colonial powers.

Point 2 → Most Western-states view sovereignty through the states of each other.

Evidence 2 → Whilst Jackson et al, were writing about the 1648 thesis about how at the time the state was considered to be the only recognition of legitimacy and independence - arguably this is evident in the modern day - hesisitation to ackinlowge indigenous peoples land, etc. - Aboriginal, Native American, SA.

Counter Point/Evidence → Impact of coloniasation and how these non-Western states and neo colonilsm - emmanual macron.