Neither “Mind” nor “Things” but Acting: Some Philosophical Implications of Pragmatism for International Relations Inquiry

Abstract

Research in the discipline of International Relations (IR) has been dominated by positivism. Positivist philosophy of science has been useful in the conduct of inquiry but it has come at a cost: Cartesian anxiety. That is, the pursuit of absolute certainty, with the demanding assumptions such an ambitious goal entails. In light of these questionable standards, pragmatism is presented as a promising alternative. A pragmatist approach rejects the search for ‘truth’ and instead proposes a focus on ‘warranted assertibility’. As such, it takes the preliminary character of knowledge seriously. Consequently, it is argued that pragmatism can address the shortcomings posed by positivism. By so doing, this exercise makes a call for pluralism, not a new orthodoxy.