IR2002IR2002THEORIES OF THEORIES OF

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSRELATIONS

Neo-Gramscian TheoryNeo-Gramscian Theory

Antonio GramsciAntonio Gramsci(1891-1937(1891-1937

Founder of the Communist Party of Italy (1921)Founder of the Communist Party of Italy (1921)

Elected to the Italian Parliament (1924)Elected to the Italian Parliament (1924)

Imprisoned by Mussolini’s Fascist Government Imprisoned by Mussolini’s Fascist Government in 1926in 1926

Principal work: Principal work: Quaderni de Carcere—Prison Quaderni de Carcere—Prison NotebooksNotebooks (1929-1935) (1929-1935)

Intellectual Roots Intellectual Roots

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

Karl Marx (1818-1883)Karl Marx (1818-1883)

PhilosophyPhilosophy

Radical social ontology—an ontology Radical social ontology—an ontology of praxis, an understanding of social of praxis, an understanding of social reality as the conscious creation of reality as the conscious creation of human historyhuman history

PhilosophyPhilosophy(Continued(Continued

Gramsci: Reality is a product of the Gramsci: Reality is a product of the application of human will to the application of human will to the society of things, and this process of society of things, and this process of producing reality entails the producing reality entails the historical transformation of human historical transformation of human beings and their social lives.beings and their social lives.

TWO PRINCIPAL SOURCESTWO PRINCIPAL SOURCES

MARXISMMARXISM

ITALIAN PHILOSOPHYITALIAN PHILOSOPHY

Conventional Conventional Marxist ModelMarxist Model

SUPERSTRUCTURESUPERSTRUCTURE

BASEBASE

Major Elements of Gramscian Major Elements of Gramscian TheoryTheory

Critique of Economic DeterminismCritique of Economic Determinism

Concept of HegemonyConcept of Hegemony

Theory of HegemonyTheory of Hegemony

Critique of Economic Critique of Economic DeterminismDeterminism

Significance of culture and social Significance of culture and social consciousnessconsciousness

Background: Success of revolution in Background: Success of revolution in the East (Russia), failure in the Westthe East (Russia), failure in the West

Implicit critique of false consciousness Implicit critique of false consciousness thesisthesis

Concept of HegemonyConcept of Hegemony

Distinction between mainstream and Distinction between mainstream and Gramscian understandings of Gramscian understandings of hegemonyhegemony

Mainstream: power as capability or Mainstream: power as capability or power as a relationpower as a relation

Gramscian Concept of Gramscian Concept of PowerPower

Dual nature of powerDual nature of power

Centaur: half-man, half-beastCentaur: half-man, half-beast

Coercion and Consent (capability and Coercion and Consent (capability and moral leadership)moral leadership)

Gramscian Theory of Gramscian Theory of HegemonyHegemony

Distinction between Dominance and Distinction between Dominance and HegemonyHegemony

Political society/Civil society nexusPolitical society/Civil society nexus

Theory of HegemonyTheory of Hegemony(Continued(Continued

Significance of Civil SocietySignificance of Civil Society

Institutions of Civil societyInstitutions of Civil society

Moral educationMoral education

SUMMARYSUMMARY

Expanded notion of powerExpanded notion of power

Significance of cultural hegemonySignificance of cultural hegemony

Civil society/State nexusCivil society/State nexus

Neo-Gramscian TheoryNeo-Gramscian TheoryKey Figure: Robert W. CoxKey Figure: Robert W. Cox

Principal ElementsPrincipal Elements

Nature of Theory: Theory is always Nature of Theory: Theory is always forfor someone and someone and forfor some purpose. some purpose.

Two distinct purposes of theory: (a) to be Two distinct purposes of theory: (a) to be guide to help solve the problem posed guide to help solve the problem posed within a particular perspective; and (b) within a particular perspective; and (b) reflecting upon the process of theorising reflecting upon the process of theorising itself.itself.

Two Kinds of TheoryTwo Kinds of Theory Problem-solving TheoryProblem-solving Theory

Takes the world as it finds itTakes the world as it finds it

Make relationships and institutions work smoothlyMake relationships and institutions work smoothly

Ceteris paribusCeteris paribus assumption assumption

Fixed realityFixed reality

Assumption of value neutralityAssumption of value neutrality

Two Kinds of TheoryTwo Kinds of Theory(Continued)(Continued)

Critical TheoryCritical Theory

Stands apart from the prevailing orderStands apart from the prevailing order

Asks how that order came aboutAsks how that order came about

Questions the Questions the ceteris paribusceteris paribus assumption assumption

Changing realityChanging reality

Value commitmentValue commitment

DistinctionDistinction

Mainstream IRMainstream IR

Stable worldStable world

Study of inter-relationships among states Study of inter-relationships among states in which nation-states are the principal in which nation-states are the principal aggregations of political poweraggregations of political power

War and peaceWar and peace

DistinctionDistinction(Continued)(Continued)

Critical IRCritical IR

Change in IRChange in IR

Different kinds of states and non-state Different kinds of states and non-state entitiesentities

Multiplicity of goalsMultiplicity of goals

Greater complexityGreater complexity

Frameworks of ActionFrameworks of ActionHistorical StructuresHistorical Structures

Institutions

MaterialCapabilities

Ideas

Three Spheres of ActivityThree Spheres of Activity

1. Organisation of Production (Social 1. Organisation of Production (Social forces engendered by the production forces engendered by the production process).process).

2. Forms of state (Derived from different 2. Forms of state (Derived from different state/society complexes).state/society complexes).

3. World Orders (Particular configurations 3. World Orders (Particular configurations of forces)of forces)

Social ForcesSocial Forces

Material CapabilitiesMaterial Capabilities

IdeasIdeas

InstitutionsInstitutions

Material CapabilitiesMaterial Capabilities

Technological and organisational Technological and organisational

capabilities, natural resources, stocks capabilities, natural resources, stocks ofof

equipment (industries and equipment (industries and armaments),armaments),

and wealthand wealth

IdeasIdeas

Two Kinds:Two Kinds:

(1) inter-subjective meanings: shared (1) inter-subjective meanings: shared notions of the nature of social notions of the nature of social relations which influence habits and relations which influence habits and expectations of behaviourexpectations of behaviour

IdeasIdeas

(2) Collective images of social order (2) Collective images of social order held by different groups of people held by different groups of people (nature of power relations, meanings (nature of power relations, meanings of justice and public good)of justice and public good)

InstitutionsInstitutions

Reflect the power relations at any Reflect the power relations at any given time. Institutionalisation is a given time. Institutionalisation is a process of stabilising a particular process of stabilising a particular order.order.

InstitutionsInstitutions

Close connection between Close connection between institutionalisation and hegemony: institutionalisation and hegemony: Institutions provide ways of dealing Institutions provide ways of dealing with conflicts so as to minimise the with conflicts so as to minimise the use of force).use of force).

InstitutionsInstitutions

Hegemonic strategy: to allow Hegemonic strategy: to allow representation of diverse interestsrepresentation of diverse interests

COXIAN TRIADCOXIAN TRIAD

World Orders

Social Forces

Forms of State

Two Key QuestionsTwo Key Questions

1.1. What are the mechanisms for What are the mechanisms for maintaining hegemony in this maintaining hegemony in this particular historical structure?particular historical structure?

2.2. What social forces and/or forms of What social forces and/or forms of state have been generated within it state have been generated within it which could oppose and ultimately which could oppose and ultimately bring about a transformation of the bring about a transformation of the structure?structure?

Three DevelopmentsThree Developments

1.1. Internationalisation of the state.Internationalisation of the state.

2.2. Internationalisation of production.Internationalisation of production.

3.3. Emergence of a transnational Emergence of a transnational managerial class.managerial class.

Three Possible ScenariosThree Possible Scenarios

1.1. New HegemonyNew Hegemony

2.2. Non-hegemonic orderNon-hegemonic order

3.3. Counter-hegemonyCounter-hegemony

Robert W. CoxRobert W. Cox

Key Text: Key Text:

Production, Power and World Order: Production, Power and World Order: Social Forces in the Making of HistorySocial Forces in the Making of History (1987)(1987)