The agent-structure problem is a much discussed issue in the field of international relations. In his comprehensive 2006 analysis of this problem, Colin Wight deconstructs the accounts of structure and agency embedded within differing IR theories and, on the basis of this analysis, explores the implications of ontology - the metaphysical study of existence and reality. Wight argues that there are many gaps in IR theory that can only be understood by focusing on the ontological differences that construct the theoretical landscape. By integrating the treatment of the agent-structure problem in IR theory with that in social theory, Wight makes a positive contribution to the problem as an issue of concern to the wider human sciences. At the most fundamental level politics is concerned with competing visions of how the world is and how it should be, thus politics is ontology.

This book is the first in depth study of the concepts of agency and structure in the context of international realtions and politics. It is an important contribution to the study of international relations and politics.

Bringing together eminent International Relations (IR) scholars from China and the West, this book examines moral realism from a range of different perspectives. Through its analyses, it verifies the robustness of moral realism in IR theory. The first section of the book is written by Chinese scholars and dedicated to debates about how moral realism relates to traditional schools of IR theory. The latter portion, provided by Western contributors, critically investigates both the universal and practical values of moral realism. Finally, Yan Xuetong concludes by responding constructively to all criticisms and further exploring the nature and characteristics of interstate leadership in moral realism.

The fifth edition of this bestselling textbook offers a comprehensive and engaging introduction to International relations and has been fully updated to cover the dramatic changes in recent world politics. Written in the author's unique and engaging style, the text explores everything from foreign policy and security to global governance and the global economy, to show how the theories and concepts Brown outlines are the only way to make sense of contemporary issues and events. With reference to such diverse events as Brexit, the Russian armed conflict in Ukraine, the financial crisis, the rise of China, and the challenges of identity politics, the author expertly shows how the range of theories presented in the book allow for an understanding of the destabilising events and developments that characterise global politics today, and will continue to do so in the future. This text remains the definitive guide to understanding international relations, and is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of international relations at any stage of their studies. New to this Edition: - Thoroughly updated to showcase the breadth of the latest research and key thinkers in international relations theory. - Entirely rewritten chapter on the development of human rights and international criminal law. - Brand new chapter that offers a sophisticated and up-to-date analysis of the current state of world politics.

Jihad for Jerusalem explores the agent-structure dynamics in world politics and advances a constructivist theory of choice that explains the role of identity, culture, religion, and other core values in international politics. The struggle for Jerusalem by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel is the empirical space where the dynamics between reason and identity, values and strategies, is explored. Jihad for Jerusalem advances a theory of agency in international politics. This theory of agency is based on a reconstituted constructivist paradigm. The theory is tested by an examination of the foreign policy decision making of Iran, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia towards Israel from 1967-1997. The book uses the foreign policy of these states as cases to test the tension between religion and rationality, between identity and reason, between power and morality, and advances a constructivist theory of choice that explains the importance of the role of culture, religion, identity, and core values in international politics. Anyone interested in international relations theory and the convoluted politics of the Middle East, will find this book intriguing reading.

NEW IN PAPERBACK FEBRUARY 2005! `The most systematic and wide-ranging survey of the multi-faceted field of International Relations yet produced. It is sure to become a standard reference work and teaching text, and is unlikely to be superseded at any time in the near future. It should be considered as essential reading' - International Affairs The Handbook of International Relations, published 2002 in hardback, quickly established itself as the benchmark volume, providing a state-of-the-art review and indispensable guide to the study of international relations. It is now released in paperback, in order to be accessible to students in classroom use. Divided into three parts, the volume reviews both the historical, philosophical, analytical and normative roots to the discipline and the key contemporary topics of research and debate today. The first part introduces the major approaches within the field and unpacks many of the on-going debates within the discipline including those between rationalist and constructivist approaches. The second part moves on to explore the key concepts and contextual factors important to the subject from concepts like the state and power, to international and transnational actors, debates around globalization, and contending feminist perspectives. The final part reviews a number of the key substantive issues in international relations and is designed to complement the analytical tools and perspectives presented in Parts I and II. Examples of the many topics included are: foreign policy; war and peace; security; nationalism and ethnicity; finance; trade; development; the environment; and human rights.

In nine essays originating from the running Miami International Relations Group seminar, the editors and contributors introduce constructivism as an alternative to studying IR from a historical and systems' analytical framework. They advance constructivism in the context of the perennial agent-structure debate; discuss international relations under social construction (as in national identity, feminist struggle, and global Internet governance), and reconstructing the discipline. Paper edition (unseen), $22.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This volume seeks to accommodate some of the more demanding of the developments in academic approaches to international relations. The core themes of the text are: the changes and uncertainties in international relations as the 20th century draws to a close; the new areas which have emerged in international relations, including IPE, regionalization, co-operative problem solving and long cycles; and a specific and distinctive annex on internet resources for the study of international relations.