Synopses & Reviews
Critical and scientific realism have emerged as important perspectives on international relations in recent years. The attraction of these approaches lies in the claim that they can transcend the positivism vs. postpositivism divide. This book demonstrates the vitality of this approach and the difference that "realism" makes.
Review
"Some of the most interesting new work in International Relations scholarship is conducted under the banner of "scientific" or "critical" realism, and this book brings together many of the major figures in this field in a collection that will be required reading for senior scholars and students alike." -- Chris Brown, Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
About the Author
JONATHAN JOSEPH is Reader in Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK. He has published widely on scientific realism. His books include
Marxism and Social Theory and
Realism,
Philosophy and Social Science (with Kathryn Dean, John Roberts and Colin Wight).
COLIN WIGHT is Professor of International Relations at the University of Exeter, UK, and Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of International Relations. His research focuses on the relationships between International Relations Theory, Social Theory, and the Philosophy of Social Science. He has published widely on these topics, including a book entitled Agents, Structures and International Relations: Politics as Ontology.
Table of Contents
Introduction;
C.Wight &
J.JosephReductionism, Emergence, and Explanation in International Relations Theory; D.Leon
The International as Emergent: Challenging Old and New Orthodoxies in International Relations Theory; J.Joseph
State Theory in International Relations: Why Realism Matters; M.Koivisto
Inside the American State: Reconciling Structural and Interpretive Analyses Within a Critical Realist Perspective; D.Porpora
What is Realism in International Law and Human Rights?; B.Bowring
Is It Real? The Question of Juridical, Actual, and Causal Responsibility in Sovereign Debt Settlements; T.Hattori
Critical Realism and the Analysis of Democratisation: Does Philosophy of Science Matter; M.Kurki
Beyond the Closed vs. Open Systems Dichotomy. Exploring Possible and Likely Futures in Global Political Economy and Security; H.Patomaki
Critical Realism, IR Theory and Marxism; F.Yalvaç
World Market, World State, World Society: Scientific Realist Interrogations; B.Jessop
Realism. For Real this Time: Scientific Realism is Not a Compromise between Positivism and Interpretivism; J.Rivas
Notes
Bibliography
Index