The study of the contemporary international system and the relationships developed within it requires, on one hand, an interdisciplinary approach, and on the other hand, an expansion of the analytical horizons. The discussion within the international scientific community increasingly takes this reality into account.

Even the clear distinction between domestic and foreign policy is now questioned, as the boundaries between the two become increasingly indistinct. At the same time, new methodological tools are made available to international relations scholars, which significantly help in highlighting even previously overlooked aspects of contemporary international relations.

Classical theoretical approaches are complemented by new ones, which attempt to (re)construct the field of research. This collective volume is precisely an effort of such (re)construction. It starts from the fundamental assumption that no analysis of contemporary international relations is possible without being based on as comprehensive an approach as possible.

The individual characteristics of the international society are not disjointed, but, on the contrary, are in a continuous process of osmosis with each other. Thus, the resulting outcome is not necessarily the sum, but rather the product of these characteristics. Their understanding, therefore, can only be achieved if they are incorporated into the broadest possible context.

The book identifies four major forces that drive the international system. The first is politics and the priorities it sets. The second is found in the field of economics, which has always decisively contributed to the formation of international balances. The third concerns the way the international society is organized. Finally, emphasis is also placed on a fourth, often overlooked, driving force: ideology.