Clarendon Paperbacks
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Explaining and Understanding International Relations
by Martin Hollis and Steve Smith
Published July 1990
Is the international world and its relationships to be explained scientifically, or is it better understood from within? "Explaining and Understanding International Relations", the product of teaching collaboration between philosopher Martin Hollis and international relations scholar Steve Smith, examines the philosophical issues that underlie the theory of international relations. The book is divided into three parts. In Part I the authors focus on the dominant theories of idealism, realism and behaviouralism. They look at the development of international relations as a subject and outline the central issues raised by treating human behaviour either according to scientfic method or according to the idea of understanding from within. Part II looks at four factors commonly assumed to account for international behaviour - the international system, the state, bureaucracies and the individual - and shows how each is handled within the alternative modes of explaining and understanding discussed in Part I.
The authors conclude with a summary of the links between the two forms of analysis and an open-ended assessment of their relative merits which aim to stimulate debate and discussion among theorists and students.
The authors conclude with a summary of the links between the two forms of analysis and an open-ended assessment of their relative merits which aim to stimulate debate and discussion among theorists and students.