Benjamin Banta
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
College of Liberal Arts
585-475-4488
Office Location
Benjamin Banta
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
College of Liberal Arts
Education
BA, Purdue University; MA, Ph.D., University of Delaware
585-475-4488
Areas of Expertise
International ethics
International relations
Just war theory
American foreign policy
Philosophy of social science
Select Scholarship
Journal Paper
Banta, Benjamin R. "Grasping Neither War Nor Peace: The Folly of Cosmopolitan Preventive War." Journal of Global Ethics 16. 1 (2020): 7-25. Print.
Banta, Benjamin R. "International Cyberpolitics." Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. (2020): NA. Web.
Banta, Benjamin R. "The New War Thesis and Clausewitz: A Reconciliation." Global Policy 10. 4 (2019): 477-485. Print.
Banta, Benjamin R. "“The Sort of War They Deserve”? The Ethics of Emerging Air Power and the Debate over Warbots." Journal of Military Ethics 17. 2-3 (2018): 156-171. Print.
Banta, Benjamin R. "Leveraging the Idea of ‘Humanitarian War’." International Relations 31. 4 (2017): 426-446. Print.
Banta, Benjamin R. "Analysing Discourse as a Causal Mechanism." European Journal of International Relations 19. 2 (2013): 317-402. Print.
Currently Teaching
INGS-101
Global Studies
3 Credits
Within the past three decades, planetary computerization, burgeoning media industries, and other global processes have significantly altered the ways in which we experience our local and global worlds. Global reconfigurations of time and space change our consciousness, sense of self and others, and the material realities in which we live and work. This course provides the conceptual tools to assess emerging global processes, interactions and flows of people, ideas and things that challenge historical patterns of international studies and relations. The course will introduce you to international and global processes in areas such as global cultural economies, global cities, new forms of democracy and civil society, global religions, sexualities, health, and environments, increased competition for resources, political conflict, war and terrorism. Beyond understanding the causes and consequences of global change, this course will introduce you to ethical dilemmas in global justice movements, and in transferring ideas and technologies in new global contexts.
ITDL-101
Career Exploration Seminar
1 Credits
This seminar is designed to introduce students to the process by which they can make an informed decision in selecting career options and identifying an educational program which will lead to their career goals. With the assistance of facilitators familiar with assessment instruments, careers and the RIT programs, students begin by assessing their interests, values, skills and personal traits. Students will be introduced to online and print resources used for researching occupational information and may be asked to interview faculty and administrators as well as professionals working in fields in which they are interested. Students will complete a variety of activities including class discussions, journal entries, papers and presentations, allowing them the opportunity to reflect on information gathered throughout the course. Students in the university studies and liberal arts exploration programs are required to complete this course successfully in the first term of their program.
POLS-120
Introduction to International Relations
3 Credits
The purpose of this course is to provide a basic knowledge of the field of international relations. Among the topics to be addressed are key theoretical concepts, themes and controversies in the field such as: important state and non-state actors in international politics, security, economic relations between states, levels of analysis, and schools of thought.
POLS-295
Cyberpolitics
3 Credits
Innovations in digital communication technologies have the potential to affect many aspects of politics and government. Beyond specific elements such as elections and delivery of government services, these developments have the potential to expand and redefine the nature of political participation and civic engagement, and to alter the structure of political power. This course examines the potential and promise of digital democracy, and attempts to separate hype from reality.
POLS-360
International Political Thought
3 Credits
The course provides a general overview of international themes, ethical principles, and issues that are taken into consideration in international political thought. Possible topics may include theoretical analyses of the ideas of sovereignty, nationalism, hegemony, imperialism, global civil society, political theology, balance of power, collective security, just war, perpetual peace, and human rights. Guiding themes of the course will be a reflection upon the nature of political legitimacy in the international context and the tension between political justifications based upon necessity and those based upon justice. In reading the major political thinkers students will be encouraged to reflect upon the challenge of reconciling ethical obligations to one’s own community with those of humanity in general.
POLS-370
Cyberwar, Robots, & the Future of Conflict
3 Credits
This course examines how advances in computer science, robotics, biotechnology and other emerging technologies are being applied to organized violence. Emphasized are the ways that lethal uses of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), warbots with artificial intelligence, cyber-attacks, and other emerging technologies are changing or will change the character of war and the societies that enact it. Special attention is given to the ethical and legal dilemmas these technologies present to citizens, states, and the international community, assessing both the harm and the good that they make possible.
POLS-440
War and the State
3 Credits
Explores the enduring reality of war through an analysis of regional and global conflicts since the establishment of the modern international system. Key concepts include deterrence, appeasement, offensive-defensive military strategies, and international balances of power. These will be applied to several historical cases to explain why wars occur and how they might be avoided.
POLS-445
Terrorism and Political Violence
3 Credits
This course examines the causes, methods, and responses of non-state groups attempting to establish new political orders. The combined use of violence with the tactic of terror distinguishes these groups from others seeking political change. Special attention will be given to national and international efforts attempting to resolve such conflicts.
POLS-542
War, Diplomacy, and State-Building
3 Credits
This course will explore the process by which states disintegrate and fail, the armed conflicts that follow, and international peacekeeping and subsequent efforts to build institutions at the end of armed conflicts. It will consider cases that might include the wars of Yugoslav Succession, conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, Syria and others. Students will consider the role of domestic and international actors, such as NATO, the US Government, the UN, and others. They will explore these efforts in readings, class discussion, debates, presentation of research, and role-playing exercises.
In the News
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December 6, 2023
Generative AI is changing education
Like many fields, the world of academia is wrestling with the challenges and opportunities presented by generative AI tools. While a few K-12 school districts, international universities, and businesses have attempted to ban the use of AI tools, RIT is acknowledging that it’s here to stay and can be used as a force for good.