“On the Epistemology of Pragmatic Constructivism in International Relations Theory: Its Origins, Character, Development and Challenges”
Author: Ta-hua Mo
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
“The history of international relations has been written in terms of “greatdebates” among different theories. After the third great debate, researchers moved ina more pragmatic direction and away from the metatheoretical debates of the past,particularly epistemological and methodological controversy. After decades of effort,pragmatism emerged as a rising trend in the IR conferences, textbooks and journals.Some researchers havereferred to this as a “pragmatist turn” or “unexpectedrenaissance of pragmatism”. Pragmatism has not only influenced internationalrelations theory, but also has had an effect on the epistemological controversywithin the international relations constructivism. Constructivists such as FriedrichKartochwil, Emmuel Adler, Peter M. Haas, and Ernst B. Haas have claimed apragmatic constructivism, incorporating pragmatism as an epistemological stanceagainst Alexander Wendt’s scientific realism.Pragmatic constructivism arguesthatIR should get back to the basics, that is, back to question-driven orientations, anappreciation of different epistemological and methodological approaches, and anemphasis on practice. The aim is to develop a more practical science of internationalrelations.This paper explores the philosophical pragmatism of Charles Peirce, WilliamsJames, John Dewey, and Richard Rorty. The paper examines their epistemologicalperspectives and pragmatism as a metatheoretic foundationfor pragmatic constructivism. It also discusses epistemological issues, the relative strengths, andmethodological contributions of pragmatic constructivism. Finally, the paper looksat the future challenges forpragmatic constructivism.”