The first imperative of the MIT Global CyberPolitics is is to clarify and articulate underlying theory shaping the entire initiative. By the end of the 20th century, changes in the world around us—the “empirical realities” as well as emergent methods, policies, and practices—led to a reframing of principles, assumptions, and expectations in international relations theory. Here we highlight three overarching features: logic, theory, and properties of theory.
Logic
Spans the overall global context, and its spaces of interactions, as well as linkages and connectivity.
Theory
Introduces the driving theory and its properties – including assumptions, structure, process, and dynamics of transformation and change.
Properties of Theory
Highlights the 12 defining elements that jointly constitute the core of the Lateral Pressure theory.
Jointly, these three features provide the foundational framework for addressing key issues in international relations and world politics in the 21st Century – with special attention to What, When, Where, Who, Why, and How?