TY - JOUR
T1 - The construction of an edifice
T2 - The story of a First Great Debate
AU - Quirk, Joel
AU - Vigneswaran, Darshan
PY - 2005/1
Y1 - 2005/1
N2 - Over the last decade, critical historiographers have established that the story of a First Debate, which tells of a struggle between idealism/utopianism and realism between the 1920s and 1940s, is a misleading characterisation of the history of academic international thought. This article adds to this critical literature by exploring how the story of a First Debate became a part of disciplinary orthodoxy between the 1950s and 1990s. Our analysis reveals that scholars produced the myth of a First Debate by detaching the concept of a struggle between idealism and realism from the unique historical milieu in which it was conceived, and employing this dichotomy for a new set of rhetorical purposes. We use these findings to suggest refinements for the historiographical methods employed to understand past international thought, and to illuminate the historical contingency of contemporary notions of scholarly purpose in international relations.
AB - Over the last decade, critical historiographers have established that the story of a First Debate, which tells of a struggle between idealism/utopianism and realism between the 1920s and 1940s, is a misleading characterisation of the history of academic international thought. This article adds to this critical literature by exploring how the story of a First Debate became a part of disciplinary orthodoxy between the 1950s and 1990s. Our analysis reveals that scholars produced the myth of a First Debate by detaching the concept of a struggle between idealism and realism from the unique historical milieu in which it was conceived, and employing this dichotomy for a new set of rhetorical purposes. We use these findings to suggest refinements for the historiographical methods employed to understand past international thought, and to illuminate the historical contingency of contemporary notions of scholarly purpose in international relations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=13144272335&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0260210505006315
DO - 10.1017/S0260210505006315
M3 - Review article
SN - 0260-2105
VL - 31
SP - 89
EP - 107
JO - Review of International Studies
JF - Review of International Studies
IS - 1
ER -