Teacher	Florian Kuhn
Slides	What is Theory 2023 09 25.pdf
Preparation	Colin Wight and Milja Kurki (2020), 'International Relations and Social Science', in Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki, and Steve Smith (eds), International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Garver, Newton (2008), ’What Theory is’, Journal of Folklore Research, 45(1): 63-70.

Robert Cox's famous argument that 'theory is always for someone and for some purpose' is the starting point for today's lecture. We will look at the function of theory for academic inquiry, as it structures the way we look at an issue, it provides us with functionally logical assumptions about how things work, which can be used to derive hypotheses to check and test. We will discuss several levels of theorization, that is the breadth and depth of theoretical constructions.

We will also look into the differences between Structure and Process, and clarify terms like epistemology/ontology, quantitative/qualitative perspectives, positivism/interpretive approaches, and introduce the dominant role of states in the study of international politics.

Discussion questions:

What is the difference between problem solving and critical theories; for which tasks are they usuful each in its own way?
Theory structures our knowledge - in which way do established ways of knowing influence theory?
Which aspects, besides the states, are important for theories, and how can we explain their perspectives?