Introduction

Abstract

This is a book about discourse, specifically, scholarly discourse in the study of international relations. The purpose of the book is to analyze the language of metaphor in international relations (IR) theory. In his book on the balance of power (and the metaphors, myths, and models thereof), Richard Little (2007, 30) observes that “the general importance of metaphors until very recently has simply not been taken on board in International Relations.” While metaphors have been ever present in the study of international relations (as the bibliography of this book can attest), little explicit or sustained attention has been paid to their role.1 With the advent of the “linguistic turn” in international relations theory, however, the need to tackle the language ofmetaphor is evident.KeywordsForeign PolicyInternational AffairInternational RelationBilliard BallWorld AffairThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.