E-IR has recently published four interviews with the authors of our Resurrecting IR Theory Special Section. This was featured as part of our November 2016 issue. Find exerts from these below, along with links to their Politics articles and blogs.
Anthony J. Langlois on the most exciting debates in IR theory:
“Human rights are central to my academic work, and they provide a touch stone for many very interesting debates in many ways. What is it to be human? What is a right – what is it to be right? I have always argued that human rights is fascinating because it poses complex questions of philosophy that connect directly with complex questions of policy, via both politics and law.”
Read Anthony J. Langlois’ Politics article and blog:
- Article: “International Relations Theory and Global Sexuality Politics“
- Blog: “Seeing a different world with LGBTQ politics and re-theorising the international“
Justin Mueller’s advice to young scholars of International Relations:
“…read as much as possible from outside the formal field of International Relations, as soon as possible. There is certainly much of value there, but like all disciplines it has blind spots and priorities. Some things that count as “problems” in IR can evaporate under scrutiny from alternative disciplinary vantage points, or come out radically reconfigured.”
Read Justin Mueller’s Politics article and blog:
- Article: “Temporality, sovereignty, and imperialism: When is imperialism?“
- Blog: “When are states imperial? Thinking about time and domination“
Aleš Karmazin on theory and the shifts in his thinking:
“…I would argue that constructivism is now dead as an IR theory (perhaps it has never existed as IR theory) although it will definitely remain here to influence how we analyze and see the world.”
Read Aleš Karmazin’s Politics article and blog:
- Article: “Rethinking the individual through Chinese ontology: Implications for International Relations theory and humanitarian intervention“
- Blog: “Meeting Chinese Ontology – Rethinking Contemporary IR Issues“
Steven C. Roach on the most exciting practical conundrum facing international relations:
“Robotic weapons or artificial intelligence (AI) in modern warfare, including the ethical implications of holding fully autonomous lethal weapons accountable are highly consequential practically and puzzling theoretically. Can we, for instance, hold robots accountable when there is no intention or guilt to trace? And will the laws become irrelevant in this case, or cease to deter would-be perpetrators of violence?”
Read Steven C. Roach Politics article and blog:
- Article: “Affective values in international relations: Theorizing emotional actions and the value of resilience“
- Blog: “Are emotions inherently volatile in International Relations?“
Resurrecting IR Theory is one of three Special Section’s included in the November 2016 issue of Politics. The others are: Intersectionality and Political Science Research and Teaching Africa and International Studies.
