“Apples and Oranges” combines history, political theory, and economic strategy to examine state formation. Tracing the modern state from the age of nationalism to global governance, we analyze the deep entanglement of economic planning, geopolitics, and identity. The course uses cross-cultural comparisons—including the U.S., Germany, and the “Asian dragons”—to explore the aftermath of systemic competition. Finally, we investigate the growing dominance of international corporations over critical technologies. This raises urgent questions about sovereignty and accountability, offering a foundation for rethinking the battle of systems in future policymaking.

本課程 Apples and Oranges 結合歷史學、政治理論與現代經濟戰略，旨在探討國家和帝國在歷史上進化的歷程。透過分析現代權力從民族主義時代至全球治理的演變，課程深入分析經濟規劃、地緣政治與權力認同之間錯綜複雜的關係。本課程採用跨文化比較視角——案例分析涵蓋美國、德國及「亞洲四小龍」——以探討體制競爭（systemic competition）的深遠影響。最後，我們將檢視跨國企業對關鍵技術日益增長的掌控權；此現象引發了關於國家主權與當責性（accountability）的疑問。

“Apples and Oranges” combines history, political theory, and economic strategy to examine state formation. Tracing the modern state from the age of nationalism to global governance, we analyze the deep entanglement of economic planning, geopolitics, and identity. The course uses cross-cultural comparisons—including the U.S., Germany, and the “Asian dragons”—to explore the aftermath of systemic competition. Finally, we investigate the growing dominance of international corporations over critical technologies. This raises urgent questions about sovereignty and accountability, offering a foundation for rethinking the battle of systems in future policymaking.

This course Apples and Oranges combines history, political theory, and modern economic strategy to explore the historical evolution of states and empires. By analyzing the evolution of modern power from the era of nationalism to global governance, the course provides an in-depth analysis of the intricate relationships between economic planning, geopolitics and power identity. This course adopts a cross-cultural comparative perspective - with case studies covering the United States, Germany and the "Four Asian Tigers" - to explore the far-reaching impact of systemic competition. Finally, we examine the growing control of critical technologies by multinational corporations, which raises questions about national sovereignty and accountability.

1)the history of Government, Samuel Finer
2)Politiká (Politics), Aristotle
3)Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
4)Coercion, Capital and European states – Charles tilly
5)Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch, Immanuel Kant
6)Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison
7)The Social Contract (On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Right), Rousseau
8)Apple in China - Patrick MacGee

1)the history of Government, Samuel Finer
2)Politiká (Politics), Aristotle
3)Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
4)Coercion, Capital and European states – Charles tilly
5)Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch, Immanuel Kant
6)Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison
7)The Social Contract (On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Right), Rousseau
8)Apple in China - Patrick MacGee