A theory intends to explain reality and make a truth claim. In this book, the theory presented does not apply to any form of social reality, and its truth claim can neither be verified, neither falsified. The author presents, somewhere from the dimness of deep metaphysical outerspace, a series of half baked philosophical assertions about IR theory that are at best incoherent and erroneous. In essence it is a pot of opportunistic eclecticism that nowhere achieves a synthesis that smells of coherence. Although he wants to explain all IR questions, he achieves to provide an understanding for none of them. What pretends to be a theory is nothing but a wolkenkuckucksheim that demonstrates the limits of a 'science' based on opportunism rather than truth, and its devoted students would probably continue joyfully to sing its praise even if it had been shown to anyones satisfaction that its presumptions were outlandish; because nothing whatsoever would count as a falsification of their beliefs. Do not buy this book if you sincerely intend to learn something about international politics, because there are much better choices around. Although the author might still be regarded as a fashion icon in his field, all he does is celebrate - under the label of positivism - the ambiguous and dubious as positive in itself. (...)
Author(s): Alexander Wendt
Series: Cambridge studies in international relations 67
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 450
City: Cambridge, UK; New York
Tags: Международные отношения;Международные отношения;Теория международных отношений;
Cambridge Studies in International Relations......Page 4
Contents......Page 10
Analytical Table of Contents......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 14
1 Four sociologies of international politics......Page 18
The states systemic project......Page 24
State-centrism......Page 25
Systems theory......Page 27
Neorealism and its critics......Page 32
A map of structural theorizing......Page 39
Four sociologies......Page 40
Locating international theories......Page 46
Three interpretations......Page 50
Epistemology and the via media......Page 55
Plan of the book......Page 57
Part I Social theory......Page 62
2 Scientific realism and social kinds......Page 64
1 Scientific realism and theories of reference......Page 68
World independence......Page 69
Mature theories refer to the world......Page 70
Theories provide knowledge of unobservables......Page 77
2 The ultimate argument for realism......Page 81
3 The problem of social kinds......Page 84
4 On causation and constitution......Page 94
Causal theorizing......Page 96
Constitutive theorizing......Page 100
Toward a sociology of questions in international theory......Page 105
Conclusion......Page 107
3 "Ideas all the way down?'': on the constitution of power and interest......Page 109
The constitution of power by interest......Page 113
Waltz's explicit model: anarchy and the distribution of power......Page 115
Waltz's implicit model: the distribution of interests......Page 120
Toward a rump materialism I......Page 126
The constitution of interests by ideas......Page 130
The rationalist model of man......Page 133
Beyond the rationalist model......Page 136
Toward a rump materialism II......Page 147
Conclusion......Page 152
4 Structure, agency, and culture......Page 156
Two levels of structure......Page 162
Micro-structure......Page 164
Macro-structure......Page 167
Culture as common and collective knowledge......Page 174
Two effects of structure......Page 182
Causal effects......Page 184
Constitutive effects......Page 188
Toward a synthetic view......Page 195
Culture as a self-fulfilling prophecy......Page 201
Conclusion......Page 206
Part II International politics......Page 208
5 The state and the problem of corporate agency......Page 210
The essential state......Page 215
The state as referent object......Page 216
Defining the state......Page 218
On the ontological status of the state......Page 232
The structure of state agency......Page 235
Why anthropomorphizing the state is still problematic......Page 238
Identities and interests......Page 241
The national interest......Page 250
Are states "Realists''? A note on self-interest......Page 255
Conclusion......Page 260
6 Three cultures of anarchy......Page 263
Structure and roles under anarchy......Page 268
The Hobbesian culture......Page 276
Enmity......Page 277
The logic of Hobbesian anarchy......Page 281
Three degrees of internalization......Page 283
Rivalry......Page 296
The logic of Lockean anarchy......Page 300
Internalization and the Foucault effect......Page 302
The Kantian culture......Page 314
Friendship......Page 315
The logic of Kantian anarchy......Page 316
Internalization......Page 319
Beyond the anarchy problematique?......Page 324
Conclusion......Page 325
7 Process and structural change......Page 330
Two logics of identity formation......Page 335
Natural selection......Page 338
Cultural selection......Page 341
Collective identity and structural change......Page 353
Master variables......Page 360
Interdependence......Page 361
Common fate......Page 366
Homogeneity......Page 370
Self-restraint......Page 374
Discussion......Page 380
Conclusion......Page 383
Conclusion......Page 387
Bibliography......Page 396
Index......Page 437
Cambridge Studies in International Relations......Page 447
