Pragmatism in International Relations

The renaissance of Pragmatism and a more general turn to the study of practices which many branches of the Social Sciences have witnessed in recent years has gone virtually unacknowledged in the field of International Relations (IR) so far. Such a move could have a significant potential for IR. What Pragmatism can offer to IR is no less than a new creativity and imagination in thinking about what the discipline is and, perhaps, should be. This volume offers the first comprehensive account of Pragmatism in IR. The volume will be divided into five parts to evaluate the main implications of a Pragmatist turn for three major dimensions of IR theory, research and ethics. After a brief introduction in Part I, Part II will explore not only the link between Pragmatism and the (American) origins of IR theory, but will illustrate how Pragmatism can yet again present timely challenges to the discipline and its dominating paradigms, such as Realism or Constructivism. Part III will investigate what a Pragmatist epistemology and methodology would imply for the conduct of research in IR, and will present examples of a Pragmatist inquiry in the fields of history and foreign policy. Part IV will address the social and normative significance of Pragmatism for IR via a re-assessment of the central debates in international political theory as well as through a discussion of the role of international institutions and international law. Part V will conclude the volume with a critical examination of Pragmatism in IR and some prospective and Pragmatist considerations on the future of the discipline. This book will be of interest students and scholars of international relations, politics and International relations theory.Bauer, Harry is the author of 'Pragmatism in International Relations', published 2009 under ISBN 9780415436151 and ISBN 041543615X.