The history of the discipline of International Relations

By jennyhardy2

  • International Relations emerged as a formal discipline

    This was after the First World War.

  • Academics began to study IR

    The ways in which countries and states relate to one another was analysed when looking for answers to the conflict brought about by WW1.

  • Academic institutions introduced programmes of study in field of IR

  • Period: to

    First Great Debate

    Took place between Idealists and Realists on how to deal with Nazi Germany.

  • Subject of IR developed to reflect changing global order

    After WW2 IRs developed as US and Soviet Union powers disrupted the long established European centre of influence.

  • Second establishment of IR as a discipline

    Best known as Modern Realism. Edward Hallett Carr was a representative for Modern Realism as traditional historical methods were rejected.
  • Period: to

    Second Great Debate

    Neo-Realists adopted a scientific approach to IR, critiquing traditional historical ‘modern’ Realism such as “human nature”.
  • Period: to

    Inter-Paradigm debate (Third Great Debate)

    Debate between Realist, Liberal and Marxist approaches to IR theory. Has also been previously recognised as the “Third Great Debate”.

  • Kenneth Waltz's theory of International Politics

    Waltz's theory interprets Neo-Realism with IR, taking a more scientific stance.
  • Period: to

    Post-structuralism theories of IR developed from postmodernist studies

  • Period: to

    Fourth Great Debate

    Denied traditional concepts of IR with the emergence of new modern theories, known as positivism vs. post-positivism, as traditional and modern approaches towards science are discussed.
  • Period: to

    Post Cold War generation

    Realism divided into 2 – offensive and defensive. Leading exponent during this period was John Mearsheimer as he proposed the theory of offensive Realism through “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics”.