Hedley Bull’s Followers (14)

Hedley Bull

Born

in Sydney, Australia

June 10, 1932

Died

May 18, 1985

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Hedley Bull, FBA was Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University, the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford until his death from cancer in 1985. He was Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at Oxford from 1977 to 1985, and died there.
Bull was born in Sydney, Australia, where he attended Fort Street High School. He went on to study history and philosophy at the University of Sydney, where he was strongly influenced by the philosopher John Anderson. In 1953, Bull left Australia to study politics at Oxford, and after two years he was appointed to an assistant lectureship in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
In 1965, Bull was appo Hedley Bull, FBA was Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University, the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford until his death from cancer in 1985. He was Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at Oxford from 1977 to 1985, and died there.
Bull was born in Sydney, Australia, where he attended Fort Street High School. He went on to study history and philosophy at the University of Sydney, where he was strongly influenced by the philosopher John Anderson. In 1953, Bull left Australia to study politics at Oxford, and after two years he was appointed to an assistant lectureship in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
In 1965, Bull was appointed director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Unit of the British Foreign Office. Two years later, in 1967, he was appointed to a professorship of international relations at the Australian National University in Canberra.
In 1977, Bull published his main work, The Anarchical Society. It is widely regarded as a key textbook in the field of international relations and is also seen as the central text in the so-called 'English School' of international relations. In this book, he argues that despite the anarchical character of the international arena, it is characterised by the formation of not only a system of states, but a society of states. His requirements for an entity to be called a state are that it must claim sovereignty over (i) a group of people (ii) a defined territory, and that it must have a government. States form a system when they have a sufficient degree of interaction, and impact on each other's decisions, so as they "behave — at least in some measure — as parts of a whole." A system of states can exist without it also being a society of states. A society of states comes into existence "when a group of states, conscious of certain common interests and common values, form a society in the sense that they 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."
The society of states is a way for Bull to analyse and assess possibilities of order in world politics. He continues his argument by giving the concept of order in social life, and the mechanisms of: the balance of power, international law, diplomacy, war and the great powers central roles. He finally concludes that, despite the existence of possible alternative forms of organization, the states system is our best chance of achieving order in world politics. ...more

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Hedley Bull’s books

Average rating: 3.94 · 625 ratings · 34 reviews · 17 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics by Hedley Bull, Stanley Hoffmann (foreword) 3.93 avg rating — 576 ratings — published 1977 — 42 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Expansion of International Society 4.26 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 1984 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hugo Grotius and International Relations by Hedley Bull (Editor), Benedict Kingsbury (Editor), Adam Roberts (Editor) 3.45 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 1990 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	On Arms Control really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1987 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Control Of The Arms Race: Disarmament And Arms Control In The Missile Age by Hedley Bull, Richard Goold-Adams (Contributor) 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 1961 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Justice in international relations (1983-84 Hagey lectures) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Challenge of the Third Reich: The Adam von Trott Memorial Lectures it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1986	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Moscow agreements and strategic arms limitation it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Moral Claims in World Affairs by Hedley Bull, J.D.B. Miller, R.J. Vincent it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Asia and the western Pacific: Towards a new international order 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Hedley Bull (?)

“It is better to recognise that we are in darkness than to pretend that we can see the light.”
― Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics

tags: conclusion, political, realist

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“It is better to recognise that we are in darkness than to pretend that we can see the light”
― Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics

tags: inspirational-quotes-about-life

1 likes

“The idea that only states are entitled to use force in world politics has been the prevailing legal doctrine, but it has never been an exact reflection of reality.”
― Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics

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Hedley Bull’s Followers (14)

Hedley Bull

Combine EditionsHedley Bull’s books

Combine Editions
Hedley Bull’s books