History of the discipline of International Relations

By Lilla8

  • Great Debates

    Discipline of International Relations evolves around four debates. All of them have their own ontological and epistemological framework.

  • The First Great Debate

    Born - Aberystwyth, the first Department of the University in Wales
    Liberalism ↔︎ Realism
    Main lines of thinking: classical diplomacy and balance of power
    First era of liberal optimism → first establishment of International Relations and the new discipline became liberal
    1930's - Great Economic Crisis - severe criticism
    Raising a new question, new reference point → realism emerged
    Edward Hallett Carr - one of the greatest realists
    1950-60's - the double establishment of the discipline

  • The Second Great Debate

    Epistemological debate ('50-60's)
    Behaviorism↔︎Traditionalism
    Scientific↔︎Traditional methods
    S.:emulate methods of the natural sciences - attempted to build a new theory of int. politics→disciplinary debate
    T.:interpretive, more historical, attuned
    Morgenthau's theoretical framework thought to be too impressionistic in nature
    The discipline lagged behind the study of Economics - used a sophisticated methodology to test specific hypotheses
    1960-70's:rapid proliferation of approached to the field

  • The Third Great Debate

    Ontological debate
    Neorealism↔︎Neo-Marxism →neo-neo debate/interparadigm debate
    Kenneth N. Waltz-neo-realist theory-struggle for int.system and for power, security
    1970's-int.interdependence:neo-liberal approach→Robert O. Keohane,John Burton,Ernts Haas
    Neo-Marxist:system of global dominance and dependence→North-South division - Robert Cow,Immanuel Wallerstein→deal with social forces, causes of inequalities
    Phrase inter-paradigm debate-1970-80's-nature of the discipline-survived until this day

  • The Fourth Great Debate

    Epistemological debate
    Centered on whether theories are ultimately social
    Methodological and substantial issues as post-positivist approach
    Constructivism↔︎Rational, positivist approaches(liberalism,realism,Marxism)
    Positivist: IR-objective,meausrable like natural sciences
    Constructivism:post-positivist→social facts are not objective-facts constructed by society
    Most important constructivist:Alexander Wendt:Social Theory of International Politics (1999)→initiated the fourth debate