왜 메타이론(metatheory)인가?: IR에서 메타이론적 논쟁과 이해의 유용성

초록

In comtemporary International Relations (IR) scholarship, metatheory or metatheoretical debates are often seen as pernicious to the progress in IR. This is especially so in the mainstream of IR, namely American IR. In contrast to a so-called anti-metatheorical or pragmatist position, this article shows why metatheoretical debates, which appears “irresolvable”, are important and how they contribute to IR. To this end, the article discusses different forms of truth. In addition, positivism, critical theory and scientific realism are discussed in the context of IR. In conclusion, this article argues that active engagement in metatheoretical debates at the level of ontology and epistemology can bring about a more pluralistic field of IR and a critical foundation on which the existing mainstream IR theory is to be tested in multiple dimensions.

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