Theories, practices and postmodernism in international relations 1

To begin, this paper outlines three different senses of postmodernism by examining the writing of Jean‐François Lyotard. It then turns to Friedrich Nietzsche to focus more sharply on two central aspects of postmodern, or better, post‐structuralist, theories: perspectivism and the critique of subjectivity. How these two aspects of post‐structuralism have been utilised in the study of international relations is explained. In particular, the author highlights the epistemological and political implications of post‐structuralism for the study of international relations. Finally the paper concludes by returning to the question of how post‐structuralism re‐evaluates the relationship between theory and practice. It suggests that trite invocations of ‘the real world’ or empty appeals to ‘agency’, à la Halliday, are simply obstructions to satisfactorily rethinking the relationship between theory and practice.