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Oxford University Press Southern Africa
Oxford University Press Southern Africa

Political Thought and International Relations – Variations on a Realist Theme

Author: Duncan Bell
Price: R1100
ISBN-10: 019955627X
ISBN-13: 9780199556274
Publication date: November 2008
Origin: OUP UK
Pages: 288
Binding: Hardback
Dimensions: 234x156

Description
Political realism dominated the field of International Relations during the Cold War. Since then, however, its fortunes have been mixed:
pushed onto the backfoot during 1990s, it has in recent years retuned to the centre of scholarly debate. Despite its prominence in International Relations, however, realism plays only a marginal role in contemporary international political theory. It is often associated with a form of crude realpolitik that ignores the ethical dimensions of political life. The contributors to this book explore alternative understandings of realism, seeing it as a diverse and complex mode of political and ethical theorising rather than simply a "value-neutral" social scientific theory or the unreflective defence of the national interest. A number of the chapters offer critical interpretations of key figures in the canon of twentieth century realism, including Hans Morgenthau, E. H. Carr, and Reinhold Niebuhr. Others seek to widen the lens through which realism is usually viewed, exploring the writings of Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, and Leo Strauss. Finally, a number of the contributors engage with general issues in international political theory, including the meaning and value of pessimism, the relationship between power and ethics, the purpose of normative political theory, and what might constitute political "reality." Straddling International Relations and political theory, this book makes a significant contribution to both fields.

Key features

  • Cutting edge exploration of a key position in contemporary international theory
  • This volume brings together leading scholars in the field

Contents

1. Introduction: Under an Empty Sky , Duncan Bell
2. The Ancient Greeks and Modern Realism: Ethics, Persuasion, and Power , Richard Ned Lebow
3. A Theoretical Missed Opportunity? Hans J. Morgenthau as Critical Realist , William E. Scheuerman
4. Hans J. Morgenthau and the Legacy of Max Weber , Stephen P. Turner
5. E. H. Carr versus Hans J. Morgenthau: Conflicting Conceptions of Ethics in International Relations , Sean Molloy
6. The Ethic of Reality in Hannah Arendt , Patricia Owens
7. Towards a More Reflective Political Realism , Roger Spegele
8. Realism's 'Hidden Dialogue': Leo Strauss, War and Politics , N. J. Rengger
9. Pessimistic Realism and Realistic Pessimism , Joshua Foa Dienstag
10. Realism and the Politics of (Dis)Enchantment , Vibeke Schou Tjalve
11. Political Theory and the Realistic Spirit , Ze'ev Emmerich
12. Normative Political Theory: A Flight from Reality? , Andrea Sangiovanni

Readership
Scholars and students of international relations and political theory.





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