Politeja (Aug 2015)
Przestrzeń badawcza nauki o stosunkach międzynarodowych
Abstract
International relations science research space In this article the research problem is connected to relations between the change of international reality on the one hand, and the science of international relations, its theory, methodology and the terminology, on the other. International relations under conditions of globalization processes are subject to a radical, qualitative change encapsulated in the formula of the late‑Westphalia order. Meanwhile theories of international relations, methodology of examining them came into existence in qualitatively other reality called the Westphalia system of international relations. Essential question is whether theories as well as research methods, but also a terminology which rose in conditions and for the purposes of explaining the Westphalia reality, are able to analyse and to explain late‑Westphalia reality? There is an analysis of the influence of the change of international reality, i.e. the subject of the research on applied theories, methodology and the terminology. In the methodological meaning the change of international relations is treated as an independent variable, and the change of the theory, methodology and the terminology is a dependent variable. The hypothesis is subjected to the verification, according to which a pluralism and hybrydity of the late‑Westphalia order is accompanied by a pluralism and an eclecticism of theories and research methods within the science of international relations. For the need of analysis of the taken research problem – what is also finding expression in the title of article – it has been acknowledged that talking about the research space is more justified, than about border disciplines. It has been acknowledged that the research space of international relations as the discipline has multi‑layered structure composed of the subject of the research, theories, methodological assumptions and methods, and language of discipline. These four elements determine the structure of the identity of the international relations as the discipline. The analysis has been focused on changing ontology of international relations and its impact on epistemology, methodology and terminology.
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