本計畫擬回應Buzan 與Little 等學者之呼籲，將世界史納入國際關係學研究範疇，以矯正當前國關學界西方中心的偏見與過於短視的缺陷。為此，研究者將兼採國際關係理論之架構與歷史、考古與人類學之研究成果，分別探究上古西亞與東亞國際體系誕生與轉變歷程，敘述這兩個體系的構成單位、單位間之互動能力、體系過程、體系結構等特質，並分析這些特質間的關聯。完成對前述古代體系的描述與分析後，研究者要進行兩項比較工作。第一，將東西方重要政治思想家對人類「自然狀態」的描述與古代亞洲的真實情形加以比較；第二，對上古西亞與東亞體系進行比較。希望能藉由這兩項比較工作，反思並改進當前的國際關係理論，以增進國關理論的解釋能力、促進各人文社會學科間的交流，以期更準確而全面地理解亞洲復興後的二十一世紀全球國際體系。
In response to Buzan and Little’s appeal, this research integrates World History into IR to correct Eurocentrism and presentism. Therefore, the researcher utilizes the framework of IR theories and findings of History, Archeology and Anthropology to explore the formation and transition of international systems in ancient West and East Asia. Then, describe the units, interaction capabilities, processes and structures within these two systems, and analyze the relations among these characteristics. After describe and analyze the ancient systems, the researcher conducts two comparisons. First, compare the “state of nature,” described by important political philosophers from both the East and the West, and the reality in ancient Asia. Second, compare international systems in ancient West and East Asia. Through these two comparisons, the researcher tries to refine IR theories today, to increase the explanatory capacity of IR theories, to improve exchanges among humanities and social sciences, and to understand the global international system at the 21st century after the Asian revival more precisely and comprehensibly.
