Pragmatism in International Relations

This collection of essays introduces pragmatism to the study of international relations and evaluates its potential for the theory and practice of global politics.

Seeking to reorient the discipline of International Relations (IR) towards practices and problematic situations, the editors of this volume draw on the pragmatist tradition to provide critical inspiration for this task. Their book, organised into four distinct parts, aims to outline the potential of pragmatism to reconstruct IR. Through such an approach this volume seeks to re-invigorate the discipline and bridge the gap between IR academic communities in the US, UK, and continental Europe. This pioneering volume provides:

• the first book-length evaluation of the potential pragmatism holds for the practice as well as the epistemological, theoretical and normative debates within the discipline of IR
• theoretical reflections and empirical studies in the area of diplomacy, international law, public (environmental) policy and the Arab-Israeli conflict
• highly original contributions by prominent scholars in the field of IR, International Law, Sociology and Social Theory

Drawing on research from several disciplines, Pragmatism in International Relations will be vital reading for students and scholars of International Relations, International Relations Theory, and Social Theory.

Harry Bauer is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His main research interests lie in the intersection of IR theory and social theory; environmental governance and non-state actors in international relations. He is about to complete a major study into the intricate practices of environmental NGOs in world politics. Elisabetta Brighi is a Junior Research Fellow at Exeter College and a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Oxford, where she is also a Visiting Fellow of the Oxford-Leverhulme Programme on the ‘Changing Character of War’ and a Research Associate at the Centre for International Studies. Her research spans the fields of foreign policy analysis, security studies and the theory of international relations.