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"Constitutive Theory in International Relations" published on by Oxford University Press.

A plea for theory as the core of the discipline of international relations, stressing that the present confusion concerning the proper method & purposes of the discipline can be dispelled only by systematic empirical theory divorced from 'policy scientism' & reconnected with pol'al philosophy. The main contemporary theories are reviewed & critically discussed: the `realist' theory of power politics, philosophies of history, behavioral `systems' theory (based on a confusion between the methods of the physical sci's & the purposes of the soc sci's & consequently unable to explain world politics), & attempts at organizing the discipline around a central unifying concept such as equilibrium or decision-making. Instead of such theories, 2 kinds of systematic res are suggested: (1) historical sociol (description & comparison of historical systems of international relations, analyzed in terms of 4 series of data: the structure of the world, the forces which cut across the units, the relations between the domestic & the foreign policy of those units, the relations between them); & (2) the building of `relevant utopias' (a resumption of the traditional task of pol'al philosophy which would take into account the realities of world politics so as to avoid impatient perfectionism). AA-IPSA.

A group of international contributors critically assess how traditional interpretations of classical political theorists frequently ignore the intellectual and historical context in which they wrote. The essays provide alternative interpretations sensitive to these contexts and the trajectory of their appropriation in the international relations discipline

Classical political theorists such as Thucydides, Kant, Rousseau, Smith, Hegel, Grotius, Mill, Locke and Clausewitz are often employed to explain and justify contemporary international politics and are seen to constitute the different schools of thought in the discipline. However, traditional interpretations frequently ignore the intellectual and historical context in which these thinkers were writing as well as the lineages through which they came to be appropriated in International Relations. This 2006 collection of essays provides alternative interpretations sensitive to these political and intellectual contexts and to the trajectory of their appropriation. The political, sociological, anthropological, legal, economic, philosophical and normative dimensions are shown to be constitutive, not just of classical theories, but of international thought and practice in the contemporary world. Moreover, they challenge traditional accounts of timeless debates and schools of thought and provide new conceptions of core issues such as sovereignty, morality, law, property, imperialism and agency

"Teaching International Relations Theory" published on by Oxford University Press.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction: International Relations Theory of War -- The Systemic International Outcomes-Stability of International Systems -- The Intrasystemic International Outcomes-Territorial Expansion of Polar Powers -- International Outcomes: Primary Disputes and Coping -- Why Do Wars Break Out? Structural Theoretical Research -- The Structure of the Book -- Chapter 1: War-Theory and Analysis of Results -- On Powers and Wars -- Systemic International Outcomes -- Systemic Factors and International Systems Durability -- Systemic Factors and International Systems Stability -- Intrasystemic International Outcomes -- Systemic Factors and Expansion of Influence of Polar Powers -- Systemic Factors and Expansion of Influence of Polar Powers at the Ends of Wars -- Chapter 2: International Relations Theory of War -- Basic Assumptions of the Theory -- Hypotheses of the Theory Concerning the Two International Outcomes -- Stability of International Systems -- Degree of Territorial Expansion -- The Transhistorical Principles -- Anarchy and the Tendency to Hegemonies -- Homeostasis and Preservation of the System -- Polarity of the System: The Independent Variable -- The Most Important Player in the International System: The State -- Great Power or Polar Power -- Polar Power in the Current Study -- Possible Polarity Models -- Polarity of the System and International Outcomes -- Summary of the Principle of the Model -- The Systemic Status of the International Relations Theory of War -- The International Relations Theory of War and Other Key Realist Theories -- Chapter 3: Polarity of the System -- Chapter 4: How the Research Is Empirically Examined -- Systemic Factors and Stability of International Systems -- Stability of International Systems-Quantitative Research.

The concept of international relations (IR) theory in the People's Republic of China differs drastically from that of the West. The construction of the IR discipline & theory, which began in response to the call of the CCP Central Committee leadership in the Cold War era, is a relatively new development in China, although there is universal agreement among scholars that ancient China has tangibly influenced present-day international attitudes toward China's leaders & its foreign policy. It is also evident that IR theory construction in China is, today, undergoing drastic reform. Many theorists are arguing for a distinct IR theory that conforms to "Chinese characteristics." Yet, because of China's historical lack of IR theory, it is still necessary for Chinese scholars to model their own theories after those of the West. As China's foreign policy matures & strengthens, China's IR scholars are less likely to look to the West for direction. 2 Tables. K. A. Larsen

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.

Metaphors constitute a fundamental way in which humans understand the world around them. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of metaphors in theories of international relations. Until recently, conscious attention to metaphors in theories of international relations has been haphazard and sporadic. This book examines the metaphors that inform the major paradigms in international relations theory.