Nondualism in International Relations

"Attempts to transform the study of international relations into something more ‘global’ and less ‘Western’ continue to intensify. As far too few scholars recognize, this necessarily demands sustained resistance to modern forms of philosophical dualism that are so clearly expressed not only in prevailing theories of international relations theory but also in most claims about less parochial and more cosmopolitan possibilities, even in the concept of critique itself. This provocative, highly engaging and carefully coordinated collection of essays responds directly to this daunting challenge by engaging with diverse traditions of non-dualistic thought and action. The analysis speaks most explicitly to an obviously troubled scholarly discipline but has important implications for attempts to imagine other forms of political life more generally."

R.B.J. Walker, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Victoria, Canada

"Dualism or binary thinking has long been identified as a problem for International Relations and the social sciences in general. Despite a variety of serious attempts to overcome this problem - from identifying its epistemic roots to diversifying cultural perspectives - studies often fall back onto binary categories. This book explores the role of methodology in the reproduction of dualism - and it offers alternative methodological approaches rooted in a variety of different traditions of thinking. It thus addresses a crucial dimension of dualism and should be required reading for anyone struggling with the problem of binary thinking in International Relations and the social sciences at large."

Beate Jahn,Professor Emeritus of International Relations, University of Sussex, UK

"Binary conceptual oppositions have been a structuring feature of dominant strains of the European philosophical tradition for centuries, and Anglophone IR has historically just adopted them unreflectively. The logic of either/or, and the drive to separate factors so as to assess independent impact, is so thoroughly taken for granted in our ‘mainstream’ theoretical and methodological approaches that it rarely even gets named and noticed, let alone questioned. Mobilizing a variety of types of nondual thinking, the chapters in this book contribute to a way of worlding that has the potential to suspend, rather than simply invert and restate, the binaries that continue to shape our efforts to envision the future of international affairs."

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, Professor of International Studies, American University, USA

"Despite its acceptance, Global IR has not been able to fully develop non-dualistic arguments. The new styles of methodology presented in this book finally tackle this long-awaited development. It is set to become essential reading for researchers and students of contemporary international relations, Global IR, Relational IR and postcolonialism."

Kosuke Shimizu, Professor of International Relations, Ryukoku University, Japan