LG514 International Relations Theory Lecture 11: Overview/Review: Theorising International Relations in the 21 st Century Ken McDonagh School of Law and Government

Overview: The purpose of theory IR Theory the Menu for Choice: – A very brief review IR and world politics in the 21 st Century

The problem of Observation

More than one story to tell…

IR theory the menu for choice: The development of IR theory: – Traditions and ‘Great debates’ “In effect each paradigm deals with its own research agenda and leaves the others alone” Smith (1995) More usefully conceived as pedagogical devices

The purpose of Theory The problem of observation Theory puts shape on the world we’re observing What is it made of? (ontology) How do we know? (epistemology) How we decide between rival explanations? (method) Causal (explanatory) – Why? Constitutive (understanding) – How so?

What is IR theory?

A very brief review: Part I: Classic theories of IR and the problem of interpretation – Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli The emergence of the discipline and the rise of Liberalism – Liberalism v Utopianism The Rise of Realism – States, Self-help and Survival – But also history, tragedy and morality

A very brief review: The methodological debates – Science v Tradition The emergence of Neo-Liberalism and Neo-Realism – A neo-neo synthesis? Part II: The post-positivist critique – A return of tradition? – A ‘productive irritation’?

A very brief review: Constructivism: – A middle way? – Do two wrongs make a right? Critical Theory: – “Theory is always for someone, for some purpose” (Cox 1981, p128) – ‘Problem-solving’ v ‘Critical theory’ Feminism: – Patriarchal world, Patriarchal discipline

IR and world politics in the 21 st Century “Now what is the message there? The message is that there are no "knowns." There are thing we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.”(Rumsfeld 2002)