The Arctic from the perspective of the English school of international relations: a novel research agenda

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article adopts the theoretical lens of the English School of International Relations (IR) to outline a new Arctic research agenda. In contrast to the more mechanistic approaches used in North American IR, the English School draws from a wider range of scholarship including historical, legal, philosophical, and sociological thinking about international relations, especially around the concepts of ‘international system,’ ‘international society,’ and ‘world society.’ The article introduces the key concepts and debates within the English School, contemplates how insights from the Arctic could advance the development of the English School theory, and demonstrates how a rigorous application of the English School concepts could contribute to a better understanding of international relations in the Arctic.