User:LGreg/sandbox/Approaches to Knowledge (LG seminar 2020/21)/Seminar 18/Evidence/Evidence in International Relations

= Evidence in International Relations =

Introduction
The methodologies involved in the discipline of international relations is known to be comparatively diverse to other disciplines in the social sciences. This can be attributed to the fact that international relations only became a separate discipline during the inter-war period, and is interdisciplinary by nature, combining the preexisting thoughts from politics, economics, geography, law, philosophy, sociology, and other relevant disciplines.

Empirical data and theories
The study on international relations as a discipline (IR) places a strong focus on theories such as realism, liberalism, Marxist theory, constructivism, English school, feminism etc. The construction of non-normative theories in the discipline is heavily supported empirical evidence, which is perceived through social and political observation and experimentation. These theories base their concerns on analysing the patterns of events that are past/exist in world politics, with the most notable one being realism, which is also considered the founding theory of international relations. On the other hand, non-normative IR theories employs ethnical, normative judgements in its creation of an ideal world state, with notable examples being liberal theory and Marxist theory in international relations.

Epistemology and Evidence
The two main epistemologies in international relations, the positivist camp and the post-positivist camp, have different approaches to evidence. The methods used in the positivist analysis are heavily scientific, which involves the formulation of hypotheses, observation and experimental testing, and eliminating disproven hypotheses. General theories from realism such as the balance of power are mainly deduced from this method. As for post-positivist thoughts, the emphasis is on approaching events in subjective perspectives that places value judgement, and more centrally, ethics, in the core of developing their theories.