ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the thinkers of ancient times whose thoughts have shaped and forged the understanding of the world. Much of what people understand and think about international relations and international organizations is rooted in the "academic scribblings" of the earliest political philosophers—men such as Plato, Confucius, Aristotle, and Augustine. The schools of thought emanate from the rich and profound insights of the great thinkers of an earlier and "simple" time. The earliest thinkers did not think of the "international" as people know it, they inform most of the fundamental principles of contemporary political theory and international thought. The admixture of religion and politics remains a potent force in society. The Buddha's search for truth in the fifth century b.c. was to become one of the great systems of ethical thought in the world. The Platonic dialogues take up Socrates' quest for truth and, in the words of some commentators, improve on it.
