A History of International Relations Theory

by Torbjørn L. Knutsen

Torbjørn L. Knutsen introduces ideas on international relations expressed by thinkers from High Middle Ages to the present day and traces the development of four ever-present war, peace, wealth and power. The book counters the view that international relations has no theoretical tradition and shows that scholars, soldiers and statesmen have been speculating about the subject for the last 700 years.

Beginning with the roots of the state and the concept of sovereignty in the Middle Ages, the author draws upon the insights of outstanding political thinkers – from Machiavelli and Hobbes to Hegel, Rousseau, and Marx and contemporary thinkers such as Woodrow Wilson, Lenin, Morgenthau and Walt – who profoundly influenced the emergence of a discrete discipline of international relations in the twentieth century. Fully revised and updated, the final section embraces more recent approaches to the study of international relations, most notably postmodernism and ecologism.

Genres: International Relations, Nonfiction, History

354 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Yngve Skogstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book basically delivers on its title – it is a history of the development of the field of study which we today label International Relations theory (IR). Notwithstanding, Knutsen's project is not to narrate the historic tradition of international relations, but its analytic tradition, which he argues began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire. I wasn't thoroughly convinced about that, but the first chapters nevertheless elegantly chronicles the origins of pre-Westphalian theories of IR, which with a few exceptions shortly can be summed up as: God.

The history of IR since 1648 is structured more or less as one would expect. The author does a good job of identifying recurring themes and developments, tie them into their historic backdrop and all the while writing in an engaging manner. The last chapter is a bit dated and coloured by its time of writing, but brings up some interesting debates that still preoccupy the academic field today.

A thorough and accessible read, but I feel it should be noted that this book is entirely conserned with Western notions of international order, it doesn't even mention East Asia and its Sino-centric tributary system. Islamic notions are covered briefly early on, at the point of time of the initial Arab conquests, but are not brought up again later.

[Andreas Haraldstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Knutsen seeks to present the history of the field of international relations and its theories. His main argument seems to be that "science" like everything else is historically contingent. "International Relations" is not a timeless bundle of theories, methods and truths, but a continually developing field, always responding to its context. Knutsen starts in the late medieval world and traces the emergence of thought surrounding international relations through the ages. Naturally, the number of chapters and the amount of scholars covered increases as we come closer to our own times, especially as the 20th century dawns and the modern discipline of IR develops. In the end, the book ends up presenting a gargantuan number of works and perspectives, which Knutsen deftly categorizes and labels.

All in all, an extremely well-written and interesting book. Though it seeks to be a book about "the history of international relations theory" it can just as well be read as a book about western history and the major international events of the last century (as seen through a western lense). Likewise the book also provides a relatively thorough view of western political theory and philosophy.
Consequently, I warmly recommend this book to students and people interested in IR, but also people interested in many other fields such as history, politics, philosophy and political theory.

[Natharian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would advise this book for anyone who is entering or interested in the field of International Relations. Its strongest points are in listing the important works and thinkers in IR while contextualizing the eras in which they lived, which give the book a sense of causality that makes it easy for the reader to understand what are the dominant theories and debates in the field and why they took precedence. There are a few editing issues regarding spelling, but those are minor defects in what is a great book for understanding the field of IR and its development, especially in the West.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough history of ideas that melds with actual politics. He writes well in English (no translator credit). An interesting term he brings up often is the "prugelknabe," or whipping boy, ie, a thinker that the author was debating or addressing.

[Nisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, that's for sure... Recommended for anybody who wants deeper understanding of IR theories and wonders where the roots of those theories may be.

[Perla Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous! loved it!

[王飞 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book to read. I suggest everyone who is intrigued with these kind of books. It presents review of history in an objective perspective. If you have any question, you can contact with me.

[Mills College Library]

327.09 K74h 2016