The English School of International Relations

First debate: Realism vs. Idealism
- Focused on ontological questions regarding the nature of international politics and human beings.
- Explored whether human nature is inherently good or bad, and whether peace is attainable.
Second debate: Behaviorists vs. Traditionalists
- Centered on methodology.
- Behaviorists (mainly in American universities) sought to transform IR into a rigorous science.
  - Aimed to formulate universally valid theories based on causal relationships between observable behavior.
- Traditionalists contended that international politics cannot be studied like natural sciences.
  - They doubted the possibility of formulating universally valid theories in IR.
  - Advocated for traditional philosophical methods, particularly those used by historians, as more suitable.
Third debate: Disputed nature; two interpretations exist:
- Neo-realism vs. Neo-liberalism (the "neo-neo" debate).
- Rationalism vs. Reflectivism
  - Rationalism: Assumes the unquestioned role of the state and the assumption of rationality.
    - Believes objective knowledge can be created in IR.
    - Subject of this course (IR Theory I).
  - Reflectivism: Raises epistemological questions about the possibility of meaningful statements, considering all statements as reflections of specific discursive circumstances.
    - Encompasses Critical Theory, Post-modern Theory, Decolonial Theory, Post-colonial Theory, Queer Theory, and Feminist Theory (covered in IR Theory II).

Emerged from the split caused by the second debate (behaviorists vs. traditionalists).
Post-WWII, a divergence arose between British and American schools of IR.
- UK Approach: Classical/traditional/loose approach.
  - Derived from history, political theory, philosophy, sociology, and law.
  - Value-based, involving judgment and evaluation (e.g., "Should states intervene to stop genocide?").
- US Approach: Scientific approach.
  - More quantitative, data-based, and test-based.
  - Aims to explain and predict (e.g., "What causes war between states?" or "Do democracies fight fewer wars?").
The US approach became mainstream due to US hegemony after WWII; behaviorists dominated the IR discipline agenda in the Western world.
Emerged in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Through the work of scholars from the British Committee on the Theory of International Politics, established in 1959.
Butterfield (1966) identifies key features of the English School:
- Focuses on the historical rather than the contemporary.
- Emphasizes the normative over the scientific.
- Prioritizes the philosophical over the methodological.
- Concerns itself with principles more than policy.
Many UK universities remain skeptical about the possibility of a science of IR.
- They emphasize contextual understanding of history and the role of non-observable factors like ideas.

Positioned between Realism and Liberalism.
- Advantages: less polarized, conciliatory.
- Disadvantages: receives criticism from both sides due to unclear boundaries.
Focuses on the interplay of interests and ideas, discourses, identities, and the development of different forms of international societies.
Key authors and works:
- Hedley Bull’s (1977) - The Anarchical Society.
- Watson’s (1992) - The Evolution of International Society.
- Buzan and Little’s (2000) - International System in World History.
- Martin Wight
States are not merely power-seeking units (as in realism) but members of a society of states.
- Bound by common rules and interests.
- These rules and interests shape their behavior and promote international order, implying a sense of collectivity.
Emphasizes the significance of shared norms, values, and institutions among states.
Blends the power politics focus of realism with the liberal belief in order and cooperation through shared values.

International Society
- Bull and Watson (1984, 1) define it:
  - A group of states (or independent political communities) that:
    - Form a system where the behavior of each is a consideration for the others.
    - Have established common rules and institutions through dialogue and consent to govern their relations.
    - Recognize a shared interest in maintaining these arrangements.
World Society
- Focuses on individuals, non-state actors, and global norms.
- A cosmopolitan idea stressing human rights, global justice, and moral progress.

Similar – considered "cousins" as both offer middle-ground perspectives.
Wendt, a pioneer of Constructivism, acknowledged the influence of Hedley Bull and the English School.
Both focus on soft factors (values, ideas, identity) and social structure rather than the system itself.
Constructivism leans towards a scientific approach, while the English School is more inclined to historicism and subjective interpretation.
English School is described as "a political philosophy of international relations" (Wight, 1991).
- BULL (1972): "Any international political situation is located in time, and to understand it we must know its place in a temporal sequence of events."
The English School, representing a British branch of theory, was not well-received among US scholars.
- Lacked hypothesis testing.
- Work perceived as closer to that of historians.
- Similar to the reception of the French School.
Some view Constructivism as a US version of the English School, emerging later in 1989.

English School scholars focus mainly on humanities (philosophy, history).
- Understand IR as influenced by the history of Europe, particularly the Concert of Europe (balance of power coexisting with effective institutions and mechanisms).
- Inclined towards understanding and interpretation.
US approaches prefer explanation and forecasting.
- More empirical and universal.
- More plural and open than the US paradigms.
- Mixes Machiavellian Realism, Grotian Rationalism, and Kantian ideas.