Critical theory is one of the most important and exciting areas within the study of international relations. Its purpose is not only to describe how the world operates but also to help us imagine how we might achieve a more equitable and sustainable way of life. Presenting key concepts and thinkers, notably Theodor Adorno and Michel Foucault, this book provides an evaluation of the field and suggests how critical thinking can contribute to confronting the challenges of the twenty-first century. It argues that current critiques of critical theory in international relations can only be overcome if we engage with ideas from outside of the western tradition.
Table of Content
Preface and acknowledgements
1 Critical theory: what is it and why should we study it?
2 The critique of traditional/problem solving theory
3 The limits to knowledge
4 The operation of power: why are things ‘this way’ and not ‘that way’?
5 Practice: avoiding the ‘big hole with a lot of dead people in it’
6 Can critical international relations theory be more than critical?
Bibliography
About the author
Stephen Hobden is Reader in International Relations at the University of East London
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