Social scientific inquiry and meta-theoretical fantasy: the case of International Relations

The turn to the philosophy of scientific realism as a meta-theory for the study of International Relations manifests a reluctance to confront the basic problem of the relationship between philosophy and social scientific inquiry. Despite the realists' rejection of traditional empiricism, and pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of international studies 2011-10, Vol.37 (4), p.1447-1469
Main Author: GUNNELL, JOHN G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
20th century
Empiricism
Epistemology
International Relations
Metaphysics
Metatheories
Modern philosophy
Natural Sciences
Philosophers
Philosophical realism
Philosophy
Philosophy of science
Political science
Positivism
Realism
Scientific method
Scientific realism
Scientists
Social Problems
Social sciences
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Summary:The turn to the philosophy of scientific realism as a meta-theory for the study of International Relations manifests a reluctance to confront the basic problem of the relationship between philosophy and social scientific inquiry. Despite the realists' rejection of traditional empiricism, and particularly the instrumentalist account of scientific theory, the enthusiasm for realism neglects many of the same problems that, more than a generation earlier, were involved in the social scientific embrace of positivism. One of these problems was a lack of understanding regarding the character and history of the philosophy of natural science and its relationship and applicability to the study of social phenomena. Proponents of realism have also neither adequately articulated and defended realism as a philosophical position, and distinguished it from other perspectives, nor confronted the fundamental challenge to realism and other foundationalist philosophies which has been mounted by the contemporary critique of traditional representational philosophy.
ISSN:0260-2105
1469-9044
DOI:10.1017/S0260210510001609