|
国际关系研究方法演进的几个阶段：
传统时期（20世纪20年代——五六十年代）
行为/实证时期（20世纪五六十年代——八十年代）
后实证时期（20世纪八十年代至今）
国际关系研究主要方法：
Traditionalism
An approach to international relations that emphasises the studying of such disciplines as diplomatic history, international law, and philosophy in an attempt to develop better insights. Traditionalists tend to be skeptical of behavioralist approaches that are confined to strict scientific standards that include formal hypothesis testing and, usually, the use of statistical analysis.
(Viotti, P. and M. Kauppi, (eds.). 1987. International Relations Theory. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York).
Behavioralism/ Positivism
An approach to the study of politics or other social phenomena that focuses on the actions and interactions among units by using scientific methods of observation to include quantification of variables whenever possible. A practitioner of behavioralism is often referred to as a behavioralist. Behaviorism refers to the ideas held by those behavioral scientists who consider only observed behavior as relevant to the scientific enterprise and who reject what they consider to be metaphysical notions of "mind" or "consciousness".
(Viotti, P. and M. Kauppi, (eds.). 1987. International Relations Theory. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York)
Post-Positivism
Positivist methodologies in IR provoked post-positivist reactions including critical theory, postmodernism, constructivism, and normative theory. Post-positivism also is a broad church. Post-positivist approaches include: critical theory; postmodernism; constructivism; and normative theory.
Critical theory is a development of Marxist thought; it seeks to unmask the global domination of the rich North over the poor South. Critical theory views knowledge as inherently political; social scientists and social science are instruments of power.
Postmodernism disputes the notions of reality, of truth, of the idea that there is or can be an ever-expanding knowledge of the human world. Narratives, including metanarratives, are always constructed by a theorist and they are thus always contaminated by his or her standpoint and prejudices. Narratives can thus be deconstructed: i.e. taken apart to disclose their arbitrary elements and biased intentions.
Constructivists agree with positivists that we can accumulate valid knowledge about the world. But in contrast to positivists, constructivists emphasize the role of ideas, of shared knowledge of the social world. States construct one another in their relations and in so doing they also construct the international anarchy that de?nes their relations. Anarchy is not a natural condition; anarchy is what states make of it.
Normative theory attempts to clarify the basic moral issues of international relations. The main normative outlooks are cosmopolitanism and communitarianism. The questions raised by these outlooks are complex, e.g.: Which rights do states have? Which rights do individuals have? Do individual rights come before state rights? International ethics also concern the moral choices of statespeople.
(ROBERT JACKSON and GEORG SORENSEN: Introduction to International Relations - Theories and Approaches Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2005).
Game Theory
A decision-making approach based on the assumption of actor rationality in a situation of competition. Each actor tries to maximize gains or minimize losses under conditions of uncertainty and incomplete information, which requires each actor to rank order preferences, estimate probabilities, and try to discern what the other actor is going to do. In a two-person zero-sum game, what one actor wins the other loses; if A wins, 5, B loses 5, and the sum is zero. In a two-person non-zero or variable sum game, gains and losses are not necessarily equal; it is possible that both sides may gain. This is sometimes referred to as a positive-sum game. In some games, both parties can lose, and by different amounts or to a different degree. So-called n-person games include more than two actors or sides. Game theory has contributed to the development of models of deterrence and arms race spirals, but it is also the basis for work concerning the question of how collaboration among competitive states in an anarchic world can be achieved: The central problem is that the rational decision for an individual actor such as a state may be to "defect" and go it alone as opposed to taking a chance on collaboration with another state actor. Dealing with this problem is a central concern of much of the literature on international regimes, regional integration, and conflict resolution.
(Viotti, P. and M. Kauppi, (eds.). 1987. International Relations Theory. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York).
Empirical Theory
An empirical theory in the social or natural sciences relates to facts and provides an explanation or prediction for observed phenomena. Hypotheses associated with empirical theories are subject to test against real-world data or facts. The theorist need not have any purpose in developing such empirical theories other than satisfying his or her intellectual curiosity, although many will seek to make their work "policy relevant" .
(Viotti, P. and M. Kauppi, (eds.). 1987. International Relations Theory. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York).
Normative Theory
Normative theory deals precisely with values and value preferences. Unlike empirical theory, however, propositions in normative theory are not subject to empirical test as a means of establishing their truth or falsehood. Normative theory deals not with what is, the domain of empirical theory. Rather, normative theory deals explicitly with what ought to be - the way the world should be ordered and the value choices decision makers should make.
(Viotti, P. and M. Kauppi, (eds.). 1987. International Relations Theory. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York).
Back to the Homepage
|
