State-centrismAn approach in International Relations that views the sovereign state as the primary, central actor in global politics, shaping the main agenda around security, war, and survival. For instance, traditional realist analyses operate under strict state-centrism by treating states as unitary black boxes.
TransnationalismA paradigm and process involving multiple non-state actors, organizations, and economic forces that cross national borders, challenging traditional state-centric boundaries. It emphasizes complex interconnections that go beyond official inter-state diplomacy.
Level of AnalysisThe conceptual framework or independent variable used by researchers to structure an investigation into international politics, typically categorized into systemic, state, and individual levels. For example, employing a system-level analysis focuses purely on structural power distribution rather than internal state traits.
Unit of AnalysisThe specific agent, actor, or dependent variable whose political behavior and foreign policy are being investigated and analyzed. In state-centric models, the nation-state serves as the primary unit of analysis.
PositivismAn epistemological position holding that valid scientific knowledge can only be acquired through observable facts, empirical research, and sensory experience. Positivism applies natural science methodologies to the study of social and international phenomena.
RationalismAn epistemological tradition associated with Cartesian philosophy that relies on reason, logic, deduction, and 'a priori' knowledge rather than mere sensory observation. It assumes that fundamental truths about nature and society can be deduced through intellectual reasoning.
PragmatismAn epistemological and philosophical approach emphasizing that the validity of a theory must be judged by its practical consequences and problem-solving capacity. According to pragmatism, beliefs and theories are useful tools that should be abandoned if they fail in practice.
BehavioralismA methodological position in social sciences that emphasizes the application of natural science methods, mathematical modeling, and statistical analysis to study political behavior objectively. It became highly prominent in IR studies during the 1950s and 1960s.
NormativismAn approach to international relations that relies on value-laden propositions, ethical judgments, and subjective moral considerations rather than purely empirical verification. It addresses normative questions concerning justice, human rights, and the ethics of war.
OntologyThe branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of being and reality, investigating whether social entities exist objectively and independently of human actors or are subjectively constructed. It provides the foundational assumptions for research philosophies.
PostmodernismA critical intellectual movement that challenges the foundational assumptions of modernism, Enlightenment rationality, and universal metanarratives. It advocates for localism, interpretation, and relativism while rejecting objective universal truths.
MetanarrativesGrand overarching philosophical stories and universal explanatory frameworks, such as historical progress, absolute reason, and scientific emancipation, which modernity uses to legitimize knowledge and social institutions.
A Priori KnowledgeUniversal and deductive knowledge that is independent of sensory experience and empirical observation, derived purely through reason, logic, and intuition. Rationalist philosophers like Descartes and Leibniz placed high value on a priori knowledge.
EmpiricismThe theory of knowledge asserting that true understanding and facts can only be gained through sensory perception, observation, and physical experience. It forms the epistemological bedrock of positivist science.
World Society ApproachA theoretical perspective introduced by John W. Burton highlighting the artificiality of physical borders and arguing that international relations must be analyzed within a global environment extending far beyond traditional territorial states.
InterdependencyA conceptual framework advanced by scholars like Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye describing mutual dependence among states and transnational actors in economic, social, and political spheres, reducing the absolute primacy of military security.
Deductive MethodA top-down approach to scientific reasoning that moves from general premises or established theories to specific logical conclusions. It is heavily utilized within rationalist and formal theoretical frameworks.
Inductive MethodA bottom-up approach to scientific reasoning that begins with specific empirical observations, detects recurring patterns, and builds broader generalizations or theories. It is closely tied to empirical and positivist research.
