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The study of international relations has changed rapidly in recent years. Firstly as a consequence of major political and economic change - the end of the cold war and the fall of communism, the resurgence of nationalism, terrorism and forms of fundamentalism, globalization - and secondly, linked with these developments, because of the vitality of the discipline, with ongoing debates on the fundamental paradigms for the understanding of international relations and the emergence of the perspectives of feminism, postmodernism, constructivism and critical theory.The Routledge Encyclopedia of Inte

This innovative assessment of the current state of International Relations theory diagnoses a deep malaise in the field and proposes a reorientation from metatheoretical concerns to the theoretical exploration of central policy issues and dilemmas confronting the 21st century world.

International Relations theory has been the site of intense debate in recent years. A decade ago it was still possible to divide the field between three main perspectives - Realism, Liberalism, and Marxism. Not only have these approaches evolved in new directions, they have been joined by a number of new 'isms' vying for attention, including feminism and constructivism. International Relations Theory for the Twenty-First Century is the first comprehensive textbook to provide an overview of all the most important theories within international relations. Written by an international team of experts in the field, the book covers both traditional approaches, such as realism and liberal internationalism, as well as new developments such as constructivism, poststructuralism and postcolonialism.

"The Encyclopedia of International Relations and Global Politics provides a unique reference source for students and academics, covering all aspects of global international relations and the contemporary discipline across IR's major subject divisions of diplomacy, military affairs, international political economy and theory. Written by a distinguished group of international scholars, the encyclopedia is largely comprised of substantial entries of more than 1000 words, with 50 major entries of 5000 words on core contemporary topics. Entries are fully cross-referenced and followed by a listing of complementary entries and a short bibliography for further reading. A comprehensive analytical index guides the user quickly to the required information."--Jacket

International relations is a discipline dominated by the debate between the realist and idealist paradigms. This book provides the most comprehensive critical review of the realist tradition to date. It looks closely at the terms 'realism' and 'idealism' and in doing so uncovers a broad range of interesting questions. Why, for example, do political realists see anarchy as being incompatible with international society? Why is idealism associated with unfounded hopes about the future? What about the past and the present? Realism explains inter-state behaviour in terms of the fundamental difference between 'domestic' and 'international' forms of government. The realist paradigm, as conventionally understood, conjures up the grim view that beyond the borders of sovereign presence, politics is not about potential moral progress, but survival. This book argues, contrary to conventional wisdom, that political realism is not a meaningless term. Martin Griffiths attempts to re-evaluate the terms 'realism' and 'idealism' through a detailed critical examination of the 'grand theorists' traditionally associated with realism, Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz. He concludes that they could more properly be categorized as idealists. Morgenthau's work, he argues, suffers from the shortcomings of 'nostalgic idealism' and Waltz's from those of 'complacent idealism'. In contrast, Hedley Bull's analysis of international society is based on a more realistic understanding of world politics. Martin Griffiths' book provides a compelling basis for conceiving international politics as a 'rule-governed' arena among states. It will be read with interest by scholars and advanced students of international relations.