The Realists and Saint Augustine: Skepticism, Psychology, and Moral Action in International Relations Thought

Loriaux, Michael

doi:10.2307/2600732

Cited by 57 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…When interpretations differ, the power of the interpreter continues to matter. The role of a realist constructivism, then, is to examine, skeptically from a moral perspective the interrelationships between power and international norms (see Loriaux 1992).…”

Section: Realist Constructivismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Realist Constructivism

Barkin

2010

121

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Constructivism appears to have taken a place in the literature on international relations (IR) theory in direct opposition to realism. Constructivists who claim their methodology is incompatible with realism focus on the association between realism and both materialism and rationalism. Realists who claim their paradigm is incompatible with constructivism focus for the most part on a perceived tendency for constructivists to be idealists or utopians. Neither argument, however, holds up. This essay examines constructivist epistemology and classical realist theory, contending that they are, in fact, compatible; not that constructivism is necessarily realist, but that constructivist research is as compatible with a realist worldview as with any other. Having a realist constructivism could prove useful in IR theory beyond clarifying methodological debates, including helping to specify the relationship between the study of power in international politics and the study of international relations as a social construction.r 2003 International Studies Review.

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Section: Realist Constructivismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Realist Constructivism

Barkin

2010

121

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“…The idea of amoralism in Eurocentric IR oscillates between "immoralism" and "moral relativism. " A few scholars assert that Amoral Realism involves "rational strategic actions" (Loriaux 1992) that have "no room for moral considerations" (Frankel 2013) and, thus, they are "not subject to calculations of morality" (Antunes and Camisão 2018); the cynical view of Amoral Realism "rationalizes immoral conducts with high-minded talk about state interests and international realities" (Brilmayer 1999). Other scholars argue that "amorality is not immorality" (Hom 2018), and Amoral Realism is "neither driven by morality nor especially immoral" (Kissane 2013); it is, rather, an evolving theory that relates to specific circumstances, and its relevance is judged in terms of its ability to make prudent political decisions (Morgenthau 1962).…”

Section: The Amor Al Ro Ot S Of Political Realism In Euro Centric Irmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging Two Worlds: Comparing Classical Political Thought and Statecraft in India and China

2023

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The rise of China and India could be the most important political development of the twenty-first century. What will the foreign policies of China and India look like in the future? What should they look like? And what can each country learn from the other? Bridging Two Worlds gathers a coterie of experts in the field, analyzing profound political thinkers from these ancient regions whose theories of interstate relations set the terms for the debates today. This volume is the first work of its kind and is essential reading for anyone interested in the growth of China and India and what it means for the rest of the world.

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“…In an essay published in 1934 entitled 'The Totalitarian State and the Claims of the Church', Tillich traced democratic breakdown to a process he called 'disintegration', including class struggles that led portions of the middle class to seek protection of their privileges even at the cost of democratic rule. 29 Tillich argued that 'the constantly diminishing latitude for the development of capitalist dynamics forces 22 Carr 1939a;Morgenthau 1939Morgenthau , 1945Herz 1942. 23 Epp 1991;Loriaux 1992;Guilhot 2017, Ch. 2;Rengger and Thirkell-White 2017. 24 Morgenthau 1962;Thompson 2009.…”

Section: The Christian Realists Confront Authoritarian Rulementioning

confidence: 99%

The authoritarian challenge: liberal thinking on autocracy and international relations, 1930–45

Draper

Haggard

2022

Int. Theory

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The return of authoritarian great powers, the slowing of the democratic wave, and outright reversion to authoritarian rule pose important questions for international theory. What are the implications of an international system populated with more autocracies? This question was posed by a diverse array of social scientists, public intellectuals, and policy analysts in response to the autocratic wave in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. We show that a series of conversations emanating from quite diverse intellectual priors – from Christian realists to international lawyers and disaffected Marxists – converged on the risks these autocratic regimes posed to democratic regimes and the international order they sought to forge. These risks included unconstrained rulers, an inability to sustain international commitments and political processes that undermined rational deliberation at home and spread disinformation abroad. The reading of this work suggests an under-appreciated strand of liberal international relations theory, and these debates have direct implications for liberal arguments about the democratic peace. Rather than theorizing why democracies avoid war, they underscore the importance of understanding why authoritarian and democratic countries are particularly prone to conflict.

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The Realists and Saint Augustine: Skepticism, Psychology, and Moral Action in International Relations Thought

Cited by 57 publications

References 28 publications

Realist Constructivism

Realist Constructivism

Bridging Two Worlds: Comparing Classical Political Thought and Statecraft in India and China

The authoritarian challenge: liberal thinking on autocracy and international relations, 1930–45

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