عنوان

An archaeology of poststructural intent in international relations

Number

TLets271774

Title Proper

An archaeology of poststructural intent in international relations

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Hoadley, Colin Stephen.

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of Sussex

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2003

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

University of Sussex

Text preceding or following the note

2003

Text of Note

This thesis is a critique of Critical Social Theory from a post-structural perspective. Itconsiders its contribution to the vision of Skinner, Pocock, Foucault and Derrida andargues against the juxtaposition of modern language and concepts with postmodernthemes, as a proximity, which suggests an authentic postmodemity and so critical socialtheorists as 'better knowers'. It argues that critical social theory is a hermeneuticapproach, which tears texts of the past apart to reveal what they were 'really saying'. This,it argues implies an objectivism which sustains that access. An objective theory which,permits, it argues, an indictment of a bad or wrong Realist approach in internationalrelations in favour of a "more authentic" poststructural understanding of the discipline.The thesis then concludes that the problem is the 'instrumental' use of poststructuralconcepts to liberate the oppressed from a tradition, which constrains poststructuralism,but from which critical social theory must consequently 'step away'. So that critical socialtheory violates the tenets ofpoststructuralism. Finally, it observes how this approachappears little changed from its intellectual heritage in critical theory as the politicaldetermination of the approach, and how this common heritage has led to a commonapproach within the discipline.

Discourse theory

Hoadley, Colin Stephen.

University of Sussex

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y