Positivism 'vs' Postmodernism: Does Epistemology Make a Difference?

    Authors

    D. P. Houghton

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Int. Polit.

    Keywords

    postmodernism; philosophy of science; epistemology; positivism; International Relations; Political Science

    Abstract

    Since the 1990s, international relations theory (IR) has supposedly been in the grip of a 'Third Debate', this time between positivism and postmodernism. While many have cast doubt as to whether this is in fact the case, and others have argued that it is time to move beyond it, it remains true to say that the issue of positivism vs postpositivism has occupied the minds of a number of academic analysts in recent years. This article takes the more radical position of questioning whether this epistemological debate - if, indeed, one accepts that there is one - has any real import in the sense of influencing the empirical research that IR scholars actually conduct. In short, whether one embraces a positivist or a postmodernist epistemology (for example) has little practical effect upon one's empirical findings. By extension, this argument suggests that the emphasis on the philosophical underpinnings of IR, while not necessarily misconceived in and of itself, has thus far not been central to what IR scholars actually do. International Politics (2008) 45, 115-128. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ip.8800222

    Journal Title

    International Politics

    Volume

    45

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2008

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    115

    Last Page

    128

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000207629000001

    ISSN

    1384-5748

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