What is the Future for IR Theory? Does it need a Radical Review?


  •  Dana Chelu    

Abstract

Contemporary international relations theory is the result of recent works of synthesis with classical political thought, international law, history, and even psychology and biology. While some of these developments, like evolutionary psychology, can prove detrimental to the its development, I find that international relations theory has surpassed most of its moments of crisis, and is characterized more than ever by pluralist thought. Paradigms continue to hold power on researchers, but most of them produce non-paradigmatic theories. It can be concluded that IR theory is still at the beginning (because of the inability of its researchers to draw an accurate view of the discipline itself), we actually observe a positive evolution in the fact that IR is evolving towards a more inclusive and complete science, a science that can offer more answers at practical level, and that the variety of these responses offers a guarantee against their misuse.



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