Praxis as a Perspective on International Politics

Bringing together leading figures in the study of international relations, this collection explores praxis as a perspective on international politics and law. It builds on the transdisciplinary work of Friedrich Kratochwil to reveal the scope, limits and blind spots of praxis theorizing.

This collection brings together leading figures in the study of International Relations to explore praxis as a perspective on international politics and law. With its focus on competent judgements, the praxis approach holds the promise to overcome the divide between knowing and acting that marks positivist International Relations theory.Building on the transdisciplinary work of Friedrich Kratochwil – and with a concluding chapter from him – this book reveals the scope, limits and blind spots of praxis theorizing.For anyone involved in international politics, this is an important contribution to the reconciliation of theory and practice and an inspiration for future research.EPDFs of Chapters 1, 4, 9, 13, 15 and 16 are available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

1. Introduction: Praxis as a Perspective on International Politics - Gunther Hellmann and Jens SteffekPart 1: Theorizing Praxis2. Knowing, Remembering, Showing But Still Not Seeing: Critical Praxis, Slavery and the Modern ‘We’ - K.M. Fierke3. Friedrich Kratochwil: Prophet of Doubt? - Cecelia Lynch4. Styles of Theorizing International Practice - Christian Bueger5. Practising Theorizing in Theorizing Praxis: Friedrich Kratochwil and Social Inquiry - Gunther HellmannPart 2: Praxis and the Law6. If Not Rome or The Hague, Where? Reflections on Sanctioning and Punishing - Chris Brown7. Practical Constitutionalism - Anthony F. Lang, Jr.8. Rules, Institutions and Decisions: Taking Distribution Seriously - Jan KlabbersPart 3: Biology, Contingency and History9. I Think, Therefore IR? Psychology, Biology and the Notion of Praxis - James W. Davis10. Practice, Intersubjectivity and the Problem of Contingency - Oliver Kessler11. The Praxis of Change and Theory - Mathias Albert12. Thinking on Time: How Scholarly Praxis Can Sustain, Subvert and Transform Social Reality - Jörg FriedrichsPart 4: Theorizing as Intervention13. Practising Academic Intervention: An Agonistic Reading of Praxis - Antje Wiener14. Between Science and Politics: Friedrich Kratochwil’s Praxis of ‘Going On’ - Patrick Thaddeus Jackson15 Praxis, Humanism and the Quest for Wholeness - Jens SteffekPart 5: Conversing with Critics16. Acting, Representing, Ruling: A Conversation with My Critics on Social Reproduction and the Logic of Social Inquiry - Friedrich Kratochwil