The Power of International Theory: Reforging the Link to Foreign Policy-Making Through Scientific Enquiry

ISBN-13: 9780415701389 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 272 str.

Fred Chernoff

Opis

This new study challenges how we think about international relations, presenting an analysis of current trends and insights into new directions. It shows how the discipline of international relations was created with a purpose of helping policy-makers to build a more peaceful and just world. However, many of the current trends, post-positivism, constructivism, reflectivism, and post-modernism share a conception of international theory that is inherently incapable of offering significant guidance to policy-makers.
The Power of International Theory critically examines these approaches and offers a novel conventional-causal alternative that allows the reforging of a link between IR theory and policy-making. While recognizing the criticisms of earlier forms of positivism and behaviouralism, the book defends holistic testing of empirical principles, methodological pluralism, criteria for choosing the best theory, a notion of 'causality, ' and a limited form of prediction, all of which are needed to guide policy-makers. This is an essential book for all students and scholars of international relations.

Spis treści

Introduction; Chapter 1 Policy-making, prediction and the theory of international behaviour; Chapter 2 Social science, naturalism and scientific realism; Chapter 3 Theory, observation and law; Chapter 4 Natural causation, social action and international politics; Chapter 5 Prediction, theory and policy-making; Chapter 6 Explaining agreement and disagreement in the natural sciences and social sciences; Chapter 7 Conclusions;

O autorze

Fred Chernoff is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Program in International Relations at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in Political Science from Yale University. He is also the author of After Bipolarity.