Social forces, states and world orders: Beyond international relations theory – Cox
- Traditional international relations theory maintains the distinction between the two
spheres (distinction between state and civil society) -with foreign policy appearing as
the pure expression of state’s interest.
o One recent trend in theory has undermined the conceptual unity of the state
by perceiving it as an arena of competing bureaucratic entities, while another
has reduced the relative importance of the state by introducing a range of
relationships among fragments of state bureaucracies.
o The state, which remained as the focus of international relations thinking, was
still a singular concept: a state was a state was a state. There has been little
attempt within the bounds of international relations theory to consider the
state/society complex as the basic entity of international relations.
On perspectives and purposes
- Theory is always for someone and for some purpose. All theories have a perspective.
Perspectives derive from a position in time and space. The more sophisticated a
theory is, the more it reflects upon and transcends its own perspective; but the initial
perspective is always contained within a theory and is relevant to its explanation.
o Examine as an ideology
o Social and political theory is history bound at its origin, since it is always
traceable to an historically conditioned awareness of certain problems and
issues, a problematic, while at the same time it attempts to transcend the
particularity of its historical origins in order to place them within the
framework of some general propositions or laws.
- Theory can serve two distinct purposes
o To be a guide to help solve the problems posed within the terms of the
particular perspective which was point of departure – gives rise to problem-
solving theory. It takes the world as it finds it as the given framework for
action.
Make the relationships and institutions work smoothly by dealing
effectively with particular sources of trouble.
o Awareness of the perspective which gives rise to theorizing, and its relation to
other perspectives – leads to critical theory.
Critical theory
- It is critical in a sense – it stands apart from the prevailing order of the world and asks
how that order came about.
- Calls institutions and social/power relations into question by concerning themselves
with their origins and how and whether they might be in the process of changing,
- Traditional international relations theory maintains the distinction between the two
spheres (distinction between state and civil society) -with foreign policy appearing as
the pure expression of state’s interest.
o One recent trend in theory has undermined the conceptual unity of the state
by perceiving it as an arena of competing bureaucratic entities, while another
has reduced the relative importance of the state by introducing a range of
relationships among fragments of state bureaucracies.
o The state, which remained as the focus of international relations thinking, was
still a singular concept: a state was a state was a state. There has been little
attempt within the bounds of international relations theory to consider the
state/society complex as the basic entity of international relations.
On perspectives and purposes
- Theory is always for someone and for some purpose. All theories have a perspective.
Perspectives derive from a position in time and space. The more sophisticated a
theory is, the more it reflects upon and transcends its own perspective; but the initial
perspective is always contained within a theory and is relevant to its explanation.
o Examine as an ideology
o Social and political theory is history bound at its origin, since it is always
traceable to an historically conditioned awareness of certain problems and
issues, a problematic, while at the same time it attempts to transcend the
particularity of its historical origins in order to place them within the
framework of some general propositions or laws.
- Theory can serve two distinct purposes
o To be a guide to help solve the problems posed within the terms of the
particular perspective which was point of departure – gives rise to problem-
solving theory. It takes the world as it finds it as the given framework for
action.
Make the relationships and institutions work smoothly by dealing
effectively with particular sources of trouble.
o Awareness of the perspective which gives rise to theorizing, and its relation to
other perspectives – leads to critical theory.
Critical theory
- It is critical in a sense – it stands apart from the prevailing order of the world and asks
how that order came about.
- Calls institutions and social/power relations into question by concerning themselves
with their origins and how and whether they might be in the process of changing,
