International Relations Theory

A New Introduction

Knud Erik Jørgensen

• Editorial: Bloomsbury Academic
• Año: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781350311701
• Edición: 2
• Categoría: Politics & International Relations
• Categoría: International Relations

This is a major new edition of a highly-regarded textbook on International Relations theory which combines deep analysis into the diversity of thought within the major scholarly traditions and the guidance for students on doing their own theorising. Knud Erik Jorgensen analyses the nuances of the main contending theories and approaches, their philosophical underpinnings, and explains their use and relevance to different research agendas. This is all placed within the context of cross-cutting coverage of key current issues and debates; of the philosophical foundations of IR theory; and of why different theories are addressed to different research agendas. All chapters have been fully revised and updated, and a new chapter on the Human-Nature tradition has been included to reflect the changes within the field. This text is the most up-to-date and informative text on International Relations theory, and is an essential companion for all International Relations students.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Theorizing is a process through which we refine knowledge, producing a concentration of insights into international affairs. This nature of theory explains why theory is a prime shortcut to knowledge about international affairs. Of course we can, in principle, spend a lifetime building such knowledge but usually we cannot wait that long. Sometimes we only have one term at our disposal to grasp the essentials of one or more aspects of international relations. In this context, theory can basically do two things for us. First, it can in a very efficient fashion simplify what is otherwise a very complex world that many people find almost incomprehensible or at least difficult to grasp. Second, theory functions as a guide to the analysis of international actors, structures or processes. The guide points out who are or what is important, so that we can focus our attention on that and legitimately ignore other unimportant beings and doings. This sounds relatively easy and is only complicated by the disquieting fact that, as in all areas of social and human science, there are several contending theoretical perspectives and approaches. There is nothing we can do about the fact that the social and human sciences are characterized by more approaches than arrivals. What we can do is become acquainted with the major perspectives and approaches. It is therefore the aim of this book to introduce the main traditions, currents of thought and numerous specific theories, in other words the main layers of theoretical reflections on international relations.

Main theoretical traditions

This book introduces the seven main theoretical traditions:

•International political theory

Theorists within this tradition analyse international affairs by means of concepts that belong to the field of political theory, including terms such as rights, justice, obligations, norms, ethics and community. International political theorists examine normative issues, interpret the writings of political philosophers, such as Kant, Confucius, Hobbes and Grotius, and discuss what these political philosophers might have to say about contemporary international affairs. Finally, they critically examine political reasoning, that is, justifications or explanations of choices and political action.

•Liberalism

The liberal tradition is cultivated by theorists who believe that not only change but also progress is possible, although progress does not necessarily come easy. According to liberal theorists, human reason and rationality explain why human beings are capable of making progress possible. They also believe that international politics need not be characterized by anarchy and war. Anarchy can be moulded by means of international institutions, and economic interdependence reduces the benefits of war and therefore the likelihood of war. Because democratic states tend to be more peaceful (at least vis-à-vis one another), the increasing number of democratic states leads to an enlargement of the global zones of peace.

•Realism

Theorists within this tradition are characterized by a strong focus on the role of power politics and by their professional pessimism concerning international progress. They assume that history repeats itself endlessly and they can therefore be said to represent a circular conception of history. Realist theories are strongly state-centric, focus primarily on conflicts and dismiss the importance of international institutions and non-governmental actors. The heyday of realism seems to have been the Cold War and it has had a particularly strong position in the United States. The tradition should not be mixed up with realism in art or philosophy.

•The international society tradition

Theorists working within the international society tradition – also called the English School – reject the simple opposition between liberalism and realism, arguing that the inclusion of a third (alternative) tradition allows us to do more nuanced studies that more accurately describe today’s complex world. They claim that though the international system is anarchical, that is, it is lacking a global political authority (world government), key features of an international society – for example, rules and institutions – do exist and have important ramifications for the nature of international affairs. They highlight the sociological dimensions of international relations, for instance behavioural conventions. The tradition has been most prominent in British academia but has increased its global spread in recent years.

•International political economy (IPE)

Objecting to the widespread separation of international economics and politics, theorists within IPE are keen to theorize linkages between international politics and economics. It is the tradition that most directly includes economic dimensions of international relations. Apart from this shared feature, theorists conceive of IPE in most diverse ways. Some consider IPE to be simply the employment of economic approaches and research techniques in the study of politics. Others draw on the Marxist tradition, emphasizing the determining effects of economic factors on politics. Still others extend (political) realism by adding attention to economic factors. As we find IPE theorists on most continents, IPE is one of the truly global traditions.

•The post-positivist tradition (PPT)

While positivism is a philosophy of science that has underpinned a major part of International Relations (IR) scholarship in the past, it also functions as a kind of negative point of departure for post-positivist theorists, who aim at going beyond positivism and exploring the analytical potentials that emerge when positivism is left behind. While post-positivists share this feature of going beyond positivism, they travel in three different directions. Some explore the options offered by Critical Theory, a quasi-Marxist strand of thought that can be traced back to the 1920s. Others examine the options embedded in social constructivism, conceived of as a set of commitments to social theory, including theories of international relations. Still others explore the benefits offered by poststructural approaches. Given that positivism was mainly cultivated in the West, the shadow of Western positivism shows in the fact that the post-positivist tradition also is mainly cultivated in North America, Europe and Australia.

•The Human–Nature tradition

Throughout more than a century, IR scholars have been thinking theoretically about the Human–Nature relationship. The enduring issue of human nature is a key feature of numerous theories, ranging from classical realism to feminist theories. Contemporary theorists within post-anthropology go one step further and problematize the choice of putting human beings at the centre of analytical attention. In addition to theorizing human nature as such, the tradition includes theoretical perspectives on the interaction between human beings and nature, understood as their material environment. Oldtime geopolitics is one example and recent incursions of the life sciences into the field of international studies constitute a second example.

Understanding the 21st century by focusing on the 20th century

It is indisputable that international relations theory has a long and winding pedigree. Some like to quote Renaissance analyst Machiavelli and his focus on the ubiquitous role of power; others prefer to go back to Greek historian Thucydides analysing the timeless features of warfare. Still others find it useful to trace the discipline’s genealogy to ancient Chinese texts written by Mo-Ti or Confucius, or they go back to the Indian analyst Kautilya who seemingly outlined an early balance of power theory. However, this book deliberately focuses on developments in the 20th century, not least because the contemporary discipline of IR has been profoundly shaped during the last century. While each of the seven theoretical traditions have historical examples of thinkers and theorists, all seven traditions have been shaped by 20th-century world affairs, by the general dynamics of the social and human sciences, by the growth of academia and by changing trends and fads in the production of knowledge. Rather than superficially skating centuries, the chosen focus enables us to be more comprehensive and to explore more deeply and widely the world of contemporary theoretical reflections and debates.

The structure of the book

The book is structured in a simple yet compelling fashion. In Chapter 2, the scene will be set and the defining features of the chapters that follow will be described. These features underpin the book and should therefore be explicated in some detail. Five basic principles have particularly guided the preparation and design of International Relations Theory: A New Introduction:

•A broad notion of theory

•A clear distinction between theoretical traditions, currents of thought and specific theories

•An aspiration to be truly global, that is, to avoid ethnocentric or parochial perspectives

•A focus on both theoretical substance and form

•An invitation to become not only consumers but also producers of theory (‘do it yourself’ theorizing)

The employment of these novel analytical and heuristic principles is bound to make a distinctive and truly new introduction to international relations theory.

After Chapter 2, seven chapters on theoretical traditions follow (Chapters 3 to 9). Each of these chapters is structured by means of the same template (see below). The purpose is to introduce and provide overviews of seven theoretical traditions. This feature makes it easy to identify differences and similarities along a number of key parameters. Subsequently, the book turns to two thematically cross-cutting chapters, each designed to introduce crucially important dimensions. In the first place, Chapter 10 outlines major intertradition theoretical debates. The reason is that theorists do not only operate within a given tradition and thus cultivate theory in perfect isolation. Rather, they often engage in lively debates across the boundaries of traditions. These debates are excellent tools to strengthen our understanding of the essential contestation of theoretical reflections. Second, Chapter 11 provides a toolkit to be employed when engaging in ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) theorizing. Finally, Chapter 12 summarizes, concludes and outlines perspectives.

The structure of each chapter on theoretical traditions

All seven chapters on theoretical traditions (Chapters 3 to 9) have the same structure, consisting of eight parts. You will first encounter a brief introduction, setting the scene and sketching the main characteristics of a given tradition. Then follows a genealogy – that is, a description of the origins and development of traditions, essentially outlining the main phases through which the tradition has developed during the 20th century. As each tradition is characterized by a varying number of main currents of thinking within each tradition, the respective characteristics and dynamics of these currents are outlined. Each tradition is also home to several kinds of theory – that is, types or forms of theory. The diversity of forms can be explained by different meta-theoretical commitments, for instance commitments to rational choice or constructivist formats. Additionally, each tradition is home to several variants of theory – specific theories that can be applied in empirical research. Whenever the task is to prepare a theory-informed analysis of an empirical research question, we should look out for specific and applicable theories. In this respect, it is useful to know that the seven sections on variants of theory, when combined, constitute a comprehensive catalogue of such theories. After the presentation of specific theories, each chapter will outline the main intra-tradition debates, underlining the main positions and their dynamics. Subsequently, the chapters will include a section summarizing the contemporary research agenda of each tradition. As theorists cultivate a range of contending traditions and specific theories, they tend to ask different questions or address different issues in different ways. Hence, the research agendas are partly different and partly overlapping. Finally, the chapters include a box with applications, illustrating how theories work in analytical practice.

Chapter 2

Why Theorize International Relations?

Progress is marked less by a perfection of consensus than by a refinement of debate.

(Clifford Geertz 1993: 29)

Why a book on IR theory rather than a book on the substance of world politics? After all, many superficial policy pundits or journalists would argue that theory is useless and basically a waste of time. Others regard theory as an unwelcome ‘must do’ activity: ‘So much for theory, now to the real world!’ Still others simply cannot figure out why theoretical debates seem inconclusive, contemplating what makes Clifford Geertz’s statement above both accurate and appropriate. Questions like ‘Why theory?’ or ‘What can theory do for us?’ therefore pop up all the time and require upfront and convincing answers. However, different answers have been given to these important questions and, in the following, I summarize five major sets of reasons for engaging in theoretical reflection (for an extended summary, Box 2.1 shows ten different yet overlapping reasons).

•Theorists tend to agree that a prime function of theory is guidance of research. Despite the widespread assumption that data speak for themselves, this is hardly ever the case. Hence, engagement in interpretation is unavoidable and different lenses lead to different interpretations. Theories can be seen as such lenses; competent analysis requires knowledge of the potentials and limits of the different options.

•Theory is an excellent tool to challenge prejudices, traditional world views or conventional wisdom. In addition, theory produces intriguing questions to analyse and enables examination of implicit assumptions and perspectives.

•Theory makes it easier, or at least possible, to grasp the modern world, not least because theory conceptualizes the world, simplifie...