Theorizing International Relations: A Dialectical Approach

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Theories of international relations (IR theory) aim to both explain and inform the practice of international politics. In A Dialectical Approach to Theorizing International Relations, Andreas H. Hvidsten investigates different ways of understanding this dual nature of theory through a re-reading of the canonical theoretical literature in IR. He shows how the relation between the analytical and the critical function of theory has profound implications for studying international politics, and makes the case for a dialectical understanding of theorizing as a way of reconciling the tension between analysis and critique inherent in IR theory.

Reviews

This exciting and thoughtful book sheds new light on the relation between liberalism and realism in International Relations and makes an important argument for interdisciplinary research, bringing in Karl Mannheim into IR. -- Hartmut Behr, Newcastle University
"Hvidsten applies his dialectical approach to contemporary IR theory with a steady hand. The work is insightful and original and arrives at a synthesis that calls for openness and dialog in our troubled times." -- Torbjrn L. Knutsen, NTNU, Norway

Author Bio

Andreas H. Hvidsten is postdoctoral fellow at the Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society.