Basic versus Complex Logic in International Relations

The purpose of this chapter is to take stock of recent developments in the study of international relations – in the context of the broader social sciences – and to highlight the apparent differences between the basic, traditional assumptions and perspectives, on the one hand, and the more complex, emerging logic and fundamental departures from tradition, on the other. Our purpose here is less to engage in a philosophical critique or a methodological assessment than it is to provide a systematic comparison of two very different perspectives, the basic and the complex. However, tempting it might be to consider the latter as evidence of paradigm shift, the challenge at hand is to engage in an intellectual exercise as a useful reminder of underlying currents and currencies (Kuhn, 1970). In this connection, the essays in Lakatos and Musgrave (1970) are especially relevant in addressing these issues.