Book Chapters by Juliette Gout
Classics of International Relations: Essays in Criticism and Appreciation, 2013
The early 1980s saw the emergence of critical theories of international relations. A small but si... more The early 1980s saw the emergence of critical theories of international relations. A small but significant number of scholars published work that challenged fundamental premises of orthodox theories by reflecting on the relationship between knowledge and values and championing the ideals of change and emancipation. Among the seminal contributions to the development of critical theories of international relations are Cox's 1981 Millennium article, Ashley's 1981 International Studies Quarterly article, Walker's 1981 Alternatives article, and Linklater's 1982 Men and Citizens in the Theory of International Relations (hereafter referred to as Men and Citizens). 2 In addition to using the term 'critical theory', these contributions sought to transform the discipline of International Relations (IR) by setting out ambitious normative theory programmes capable of challenging the intellectual hegemony of realism and liberalism and their disavowal of normative political philosophy and philosophical history in favour of more empirical and functional forms of 'problem-solving' theory. That, at least, is the conventional story told from the vantage point of the twentyfirst century. 4 A similar story could be told of the way that Men and Citizens marked the first instalment of a trilogy of books by the man who would become the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Politics at Aberystwyth and the discipline's leading proponent of critical theory. While these narratives make sense as post facto reconstructions, they neglect the actual intentions and motives behind these seminal contributions. In an effort to understand and interpret the text's meaning, this chapter begins by elucidating the intentions and motives that led Linklater to write Men and Citizens. This will require outlining the intellectual context to which Men and Citizens responded. The chapter then provides a close reading of the book, highlighting its originality in formulating a normative theory of international relations tailored to the recovery of universal ethical reasoning. In the third and final part, the chapter reflects on the reception of Men and Citizens before trying to capture what makes the book a contemporary classic of IR.
Papers by Juliette Gout
Oxford University Press eBooks, May 20, 2024
Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Dec 25, 2022
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Book Chapters by Juliette Gout
Papers by Juliette Gout