When was IR established as an academic discipline?
April 1919 at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, born from the aftermath of WWI (1914-1918). (Author: Booth)
What is the difference between ‘the past’ and ‘history’?
THE PAST = the ultimate reality that is inaccessible. HISTORY = what historians write about the past in pursuit of truthfulness. History is interpretation, not pure truth. (Author: Booth)
According to Ken Booth (2019), “the past” is the actual events as they truly happened—the “ultimate reality” that’s forever inaccessible to us, like pure truth we can never fully grasp.
“History”, by contrast, is what historians (and scholars) write or say about the past—they pursue “truthfulness” through evidence and interpretation, but it’s always partial and situated, not the raw past itself.
What are the two components of ‘truthfulness’ in scholarship?
- ACCURACY - respect for evidence and logic
- SINCERITY - unprejudiced engagement with alternative viewpoints (Author: Booth)
Accuracy = Stick to the facts and use logic. Respect evidence, don’t make stuff up.
Sincerity = Be fair to other viewpoints. Don’t let bias blind you; genuinely engage with different ideas.
Why these two? Pure “truth” about the past is impossible to know completely, but scholars can still be truthful by being accurate (evidence-based) and sincere (open-minded). This is the gold standard for good historical work in IR.
What is the Cox proposition about theory?
‘Theory is always for someone and for some purpose’ and ‘by someone from somewhere.’ This emphasizes that all knowledge is situated and contextual. (Author: Booth)
The Cox proposition (via Booth) says: “Theory is always for someone and for some purpose.”
Simple breakdown:
No theory is neutral or “just facts”
Every theory serves specific interests (who benefits?)
It comes from somewhere (author’s background, time, place)
Example: A realist theory might serve powerful states wanting to maintain order. A critical theory might serve marginalized voices wanting change.
Booth uses this to show all IR knowledge is situated—your perspective shapes what you see and argue.
What is linear time in IR theory?
LINEAR TIME: Associated with progress, moving forward toward a better future, linked to Enlightenment thinking and Liberalism. (Author: Booth)
What is cyclical time in IR theory?
CYCLICAL TIME: Theory of repetition, human nature fundamentalism, ‘back to the future’ - associated with Realism. The idea that history repeats itself. (Author: Booth)
What is presentism?
Interpreting the past primarily through the lens of the present. ‘All history is contemporary history.’ Can make the past seem more predictable than it actually was. (Author: Booth)
What is teleology in history?
Purpose-driven history where the path is set by God, Reason, Spirit, or material forces. The destination is constant and predetermined. (Author: Booth)
What is the difference between texture and transformation in IR?
TEXTURE = Distinctive patterns that repeat through IR history (self-help, mistrust, power-seeking). TRANSFORMATION = Genuine game-changers and existential shifts in international relations. (Author: Booth)
exture = Repeating patterns that stick around. Like the grain of wood—think self-help, mistrust, power struggles. You can read Thucydides today and it still feels familiar (Waltz-style realism).
Transformation = Big game-changers. Total shifts, like ending empires or colonial systems. When patterns break and new worlds emerge.
Simple analogy: Texture is the wallpaper (always there). Transformation is ripping it down and rebuilding the room. Real IR mixes both—history has constants but also dramatic turns.
What was the first myth about the liberal international order?
The myth was about how far it actually extended. In reality, during the Cold War, the Soviet bloc, China, India, Indonesia, and much of the Third World were OUTSIDE it. It was limited, not global. (Author: Acharya)
What are the four eroding foundations of the liberal order?
- FREE TRADE (slowing)
- MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS (fragmenting)
- DEMOCRACY (reversing)
- LIBERAL VALUES (eroding) (Author: Acharya)
What is a multiplex world?
Like a multiplex cinema - multiple movies, actors, directors, and plots under the same roof. Multiple modernities and crosscutting international orders, offering choice and diversity. (Author: Acharya)
How does a multiplex world differ from multipolarity?
Multiplex has: 1) Multiple actors (not just great powers), 2) Dense economic ties, 3) Truly global geography, 4) Dense network of institutions, 5) Complex challenges (not just interstate). (Author: Acharya)
A multiplex world (Acharya) is like a movie multiplex—many screens (orders), actors, and stories running together in one building. It’s diverse and interconnected.
Multipolarity is simpler: Just 3+ big powers (like pre-WWI Europe) balancing military/economic might, often leading to rivalry/war
What characterizes the new globalization?
SOUTH-SOUTH FOCUSED: Led by East (China/India), more development-driven (infrastructure), more respectful of sovereignty, more economic and less ideological than Western-led globalization. (Author: Acharya)
What is G-Plus governance?
Leadership-sharing between Western and emerging powers. Features established + emerging powers, global + regional institutions, and includes states, social movements, corporations, and foundations. (Author: Acharya)
Is Trump the cause of liberal order decline?
No, Trump is a CONSEQUENCE, not a cause. The four foundations were already eroding before Trump. He reflects deeper structural shifts and may accelerate the decline. (Author: Acharya)
What is the relational turn in IR?
Movement away from ‘substantialism’ (thinking in terms of things/essences) toward ‘relationalism’ (thinking in terms of relational processes unfolding). (Author: Kurki)
What does the relational turn challenge?
It challenges: atomism, individualism, fixed entities, separation of nature/culture and human/non-human, Western-centric ontologies, and positivist epistemologies. (Author: Kurki)
What is pluriversality?
Multiple WORLDS, not just multiple voices in one world. Different ways of experiencing AND existing. Decolonizing IR’s ‘one-world’ conception. (Author: Kurki)
What is the difference between universe and pluriverse?
UNIVERSE = Multiple voices in ONE world. PLURIVERSE = Multiple WORLDS, not just voices; different ways of experiencing and existing; cohabitation across different relational beings. (Author: Kurki)
What is substantialism vs. relationalism?
SUBSTANTIALISM = Thinking in terms of essences and things with fixed properties. RELATIONALISM = Thinking in terms of relational processes unfolding; processual nature of reality. (Author: Kurki)
What is relational cosmology’s core insight?
Reality consists of PROCESSES and BECOMINGS, not substances. The universe is a network of relations in process, not fixed objects in fixed space and time. (Author: Kurki)
What is onto-epistemology?
Cannot separate knowing from doing/being. Knowing IS doing AND being AND becoming. We cannot have objective ‘knowledge of the world’ because we are always in particular relations. (Author: Kurki)
What does progress mean in IR according to Booth?
Progress is POSSIBLE but NOT GUARANTEED. Examples: predictable peace between some states, spread of social justice ideas, attention to development/gender/race. But regression is also possible. Stance: RATIONAL HOPE. (Author: Booth)
