I Think, Therefore IR? Psychology, Biology and the Notion of Praxis.
Series
Bristol Studies in International Theory
Type
book section
Author(s)
Davis, James W.
Editor(s)
Hellmann, Gunther
Steffek, Jens
Abstract (De)
In his spirited defense of a thick constructivist approach to the study of international relations, Kratochwil repeatedly invites us to adopt the perspective of the first-person plural. Without a conception of “we,” there is no language or discourse, no possibility for authority or justice, and perhaps more controversial, no feelings or sentiments. But how does the constructed “we” relate to the psychological and biological agent, “I,” who is engaged in praxis? The suggestion is that Kratochwil’s thick constructivism, which underpins the notion of praxis, at once is too radical and too conservative. It is too radical because it neglects how biology constrains or conditions what human beings in social settings can construct. Yet in ignoring how culture affects biology, it is simultaneously too conservative. This essay is devoted to an examination of the links and tensions between Kratochwil’s constructivism and current behavioral research in the fields of psychology and neuroscience.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Book title
Praxis as a Perspective on International Politics
Publisher
Bristol University Press
Publisher place
Bristol, UK
Contact Email Address
James.Davis@unisg.ch
Eprints ID
262547