Great Debates in international relations theory
Encyclopedia
In international relations theory
, the Great Debates refer to a series of disagreements between international relations scholars. Ashworth describes how the discipline of international relations has been heavily influenced by historical narratives and that "no single idea has been more influential" than the notion that there was a debate between utopian and realist thinking.
. Realist scholars emphasized the anarchical nature of international politics and the need for state survival. Idealists emphasized the possibility of international institutions such as the League of Nations. However, some have argued that defining the debate between realism and idealism in terms of a great debate is a misleading caricature and so described the "great debate" as a myth.
theories and post-positivist
theories of international relations. Confusingly, it is often described in literature as "The Third Great Debate" by those who reject the description of the inter-paradigm debate as a Great Debate. This debate is concerned with the underlying epistemology of international relations scholarship and is also described as a debate between "rationalists
" and "reflectivists
". The debate was started by Robert Keohane
in a International Studies Association
debate in 1988 and can be considered an epistemological debate rather than a ontological one, that is to say a debate about what we can claim to know.
but goes on to say 'let us hope not, because the first four great debates were singularly pointless affairs, and the fifth, when it arrives, is unlikely to be any different. Steve Smith argues that 'it is difficult to find any notion of a "fifth great debate" in the literature.
has argued that the differing positions have largely ignored each other meaning that it makes little sense to talk of 'debates' between rival theoretical frameworks.
International relations theory
International relations theory is the study of international relations from a theoretical perspective; it attempts to provide a conceptual framework upon which international relations can be analyzed. Ole Holsti describes international relations theories act as a pair of coloured sunglasses,...
, the Great Debates refer to a series of disagreements between international relations scholars. Ashworth describes how the discipline of international relations has been heavily influenced by historical narratives and that "no single idea has been more influential" than the notion that there was a debate between utopian and realist thinking.
First Great Debate
The "First Great Debate" also known as the "Realist-Idealist Great Debate" was a dispute between idealists and realists which took place in the 1930s and 1940s and which was fundamentally about how to deal with Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Realist scholars emphasized the anarchical nature of international politics and the need for state survival. Idealists emphasized the possibility of international institutions such as the League of Nations. However, some have argued that defining the debate between realism and idealism in terms of a great debate is a misleading caricature and so described the "great debate" as a myth.
Second Great Debate
The "Second Great Debate" was a dispute between "scientific IR" scholars who sought to refine scientific methods of inquiry in international relations theory and those who insisted on a more historicist/interpretative approach to international relations theory. The debate is termed "realists versus behaviourists" or "traditionalism versus scientism".Inter-paradigm Debate
Sometimes the inter-paradigm debate is considered to be a great debate and is therefore referred to as the "Third Great Debate". The inter-paradigm debate was a debate between liberalism, realism and radical international relations theories. The debate has also described as being between realism, institutionalism and structuralism.Fourth Great Debate
The "Fourth Great Debate" was a debate between positivistPositivism in international relations theory
In international relations theory, positivism refers to a school of thought which believes that the methodologies of the natural sciences can help explain the social world....
theories and post-positivist
Post-positivism in international relations theory
In international relations theory, post-positivism refers to theories of international relations which epistemologically reject positivism, the idea that the empiricist observation of the natural sciences can be applied to the social sciences....
theories of international relations. Confusingly, it is often described in literature as "The Third Great Debate" by those who reject the description of the inter-paradigm debate as a Great Debate. This debate is concerned with the underlying epistemology of international relations scholarship and is also described as a debate between "rationalists
Rationalism in international relations theory
Rationalism in politics is often seen as the mid point in the three major political viewpoints of realism, rationalism, and internationalism. Where as Realism and Internationalism are both on ends of the scale, rationalism tends to occupy the middle ground on most issues, and finds compromise...
" and "reflectivists
Reflectivism
Reflectivism is a range of approaches to social science, and notably political science which oppose realism and more generally, positivism. These approaches are often given more particular titles, including feminism, postmodernism, and critical theory...
". The debate was started by Robert Keohane
Robert Keohane
Robert O. Keohane is an American academic, who, following the publication of his influential book After Hegemony , became widely associated with the theory of neoliberal institutionalism in international relations...
in a International Studies Association
International Studies Association
The International Studies Association was founded by a group of scholars and practitioners in 1959 to pursue mutual interests in international studies. Representing eighty countries, ISA has over three thousand members worldwide and is the most respected and widely known scholarly association in...
debate in 1988 and can be considered an epistemological debate rather than a ontological one, that is to say a debate about what we can claim to know.
Fifth Great Debate?
Brown remarking on the possibility of a "Fifth Great Debate" has suggested that the debate could concern critical realismCritical realism
In the philosophy of perception, critical realism is the theory that some of our sense-data can and do accurately represent external objects, properties, and events, while other of our sense-data do not accurately represent any external objects, properties, and events...
but goes on to say 'let us hope not, because the first four great debates were singularly pointless affairs, and the fifth, when it arrives, is unlikely to be any different. Steve Smith argues that 'it is difficult to find any notion of a "fifth great debate" in the literature.
Criticism
Steve SmithSteve Smith (academic)
Sir Steven Murray Smith, AcSS is an international relations theorist, academic, and senior university manager.In October 2002 he succeeded Geoffrey Holland as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and from 2009-2011 was the President of Universities UK.-Early life:He attended the City of...
has argued that the differing positions have largely ignored each other meaning that it makes little sense to talk of 'debates' between rival theoretical frameworks.
Further reading
- Darshan Vigneswaran, Joel Quirk, International relations' first great debate: context and tradition, Issue 2001; Issue 2004 of Working paper, Dept. of International Relations, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, 2004