85 years after its formal establishment , the discipline of International Relations is currently engaged in what is known as the ‘Third Debate’. At the heart of this debate is the question “to what extend can society be studied in the same way as nature?”
Positivists hold that the social world is not fundamentally different form the natural world and that, as a result, the same epistemology applies. Positivists aim to explain the social world and believe that causal laws and generalisations can be found through observation. Post-positivists argue that the social and the natural world are not alike and that scientific explanation is neither a valid nor an adequate form of inquiry for the social sciences. According to this view, the social world primarily consists of ideas and concepts that cannot be translated into scientific terms but need to be interpreted. Hence, the aim of post-positivists is understanding social phenomena.
The two positions are commonly perceived as mutually exclusive and the advocates of the two camps are hardly willing to engage in a constructive debate. “This Third Debate will not be much of a ‘debate’ if its protagonists are not speaking to each other, but that is where things largely stand.” Nevertheless, Wendt, among others, has argued that social science in general and International Relations in particular might benefit less from siding with either positivism or post-positivism, but more from combining the two, and that it is indeed possible to build a bridge between the two philosophies of science. Such a combination would acknowledge the ontology of social science to be post-positivist, that is idea-based, while at the same time proposing to adopt a positivist epistemology , although pure scientific explanation and empiricism are not seen as appropriate methods.
Table of Contents
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Research Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the epistemological and ontological divide within the discipline of International Relations, specifically addressing the conflict between positivist and post-positivist philosophies of science. The primary goal is to evaluate whether integrating these two traditionally opposing approaches—specifically through the lens of Alexander Wendt’s scientific realism—can provide a more comprehensive understanding of social phenomena than either approach offers in isolation.
- The historical and theoretical foundations of the "Third Debate" in International Relations.
- Core principles of positivism: methodological monism, causal explanation, and the deductive-nomological model.
- Critiques of positivism and the post-positivist focus on understanding, interpretation, and constitutive theorizing.
- The potential for a "via media" (scientific realism) to bridge the gap between social ontology and scientific inquiry.
- The necessity of acknowledging both causal structures and social meanings in the study of international affairs.
Excerpt from the Book
The 'Via Media' between Post-positivist Ontology and Positivist Epistemology
Wendt sees such a combination in scientific realism, which he calls a ‘via media’ between positivism and post-positivism. His argument is that although the international world is made of ideas, concepts and meanings – hence ontologically post-positivist – it is nevertheless possible and indeed necessary to apply a positivist epistemology to social science, as it “is an epistemically privileged discourse that gives us knowledge.”
The value of this ‘via media’ between post-positivist ontology and positivist epistemology is that the idea based nature of social science is recognized and appreciated, yet at the same time scientific inquiry (in the traditional meaning) into social science is made possible – without denying the value of constitutive theorising. “The point is that everyone gets to do what they do: from a [scientific] realist stance epistemology cannot legislate scientific practice.”
Scientific realism, then, shifts the core of the Third Debate from epistemological issues to questions of ontology, which Wendt deems the more important issues in social science anyway. The ‘via media’ also achieves to make the development of International Relations into a ‘science’ possible, as it defuses the dichotomy between empiricism and hermeneutics.
Summary of Chapters
Note: The document is a cohesive essay rather than a multi-chapter book. The thematic summary is as follows:
Introduction: The essay introduces the Third Debate in International Relations and the fundamental tension between positivist and post-positivist approaches to studying social life.
Positivist Perspectives: This section details the reliance of positivism on methodological monism and causal laws, citing Realism as a primary proponent within the discipline.
Post-Positivist Perspectives: This section critiques the positivist approach, emphasizing that the social world consists of meaningful objects that require interpretation rather than mere measurement.
Synthesizing Approaches: The final sections explore Alexander Wendt’s scientific realism as a bridge between the two, arguing that one can adopt a positivist epistemology while respecting a post-positivist, idea-based ontology.
Keywords
International Relations, Third Debate, Positivism, Post-positivism, Scientific Realism, Epistemology, Ontology, Causal Explanation, Constitutive Theorizing, Methodological Monism, Hermeneutics, Social Science, Alexander Wendt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental issue discussed in this work?
The work addresses the "Third Debate" in International Relations, which centers on whether society can be studied using the same scientific methods applied to the natural world.
What are the two main philosophical schools of thought analyzed?
The essay analyzes positivism, which focuses on explanation and causal laws, and post-positivism, which emphasizes understanding and the interpretation of social meanings.
What is the primary research goal of the author?
The author aims to determine if combining these two philosophies—via scientific realism—leads to a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of International Relations.
Which methodology does the author evaluate as a solution?
The author evaluates the "via media" proposed by Alexander Wendt, which supports a post-positivist ontology (idea-based) combined with a positivist epistemology (scientific inquiry).
What does the main body of the text cover?
The text explores the strengths and limitations of both positivist empiricism and post-positivist hermeneutics, ultimately arguing that neither is sufficient on its own.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key concepts include the Third Debate, scientific realism, positivism, post-positivism, causal explanation, and constitutive theorizing.
How does the author characterize the realist position in IR?
The author identifies Realism as a strong supporter of the positivist philosophy of science, seeking to apply scientific methods to discover laws of human behavior.
Why does the author argue that pure observation is insufficient?
Drawing on Weber and other theorists, the author argues that direct observation cannot capture the underlying intentions, motives, or social rules that give meaning to human actions.
- Citar trabajo
- Patrick Wagner (Autor), 2004, Explaining and Understanding in the Social Sciences: Is it Beneficial for our Understanding of IR to Combine Positivist and Post-Positivist Philosophies of Science?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/24733
