Critical Theory in International Relations and Security Studies

Shannon Brincat is the co-editor for the journal Global Discourse. He received his doctorate from the University of Queensland.Laura Lima has recently submitted her doctoral thesis at the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University.João Nunes is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Warwick.

'Critique requires critique. By reinvigorating questions of belonging, progress, cosmopolitanism and order in world politics, critical theory has made an enormous contribution to International Relations and Security Studies, and influenced countless activists and policy makers committed to its normative vision of a more just and sustainable world. This book courageously states it is time to reassess. The probing interviews with the field's major figures are worth the price alone, but the stellar cast of scholars who ask what it has missed, who it must engage, and where it must go from here, make this a compelling work. It will set the stage for a productive new phase in truly challenging times.' - Anthony Burke, University of New South Wales, Australia'Employing an unusual dialogical format, Critical Theory in International Relations and Security Studies lives up to Critical Theory’s promise of being self-reflective. Interviews with four leading figures in the field, which reveal the richness and diversity of their intellectual heritages, are complemented by a diverse group of commentators who challenge Critical International Relations Theory and Critical Security Studies to be ever aware of its commitment to ongoing dialogue and openness to new avenues of exploration. An important book for students and scholars alike: the stimulating and engaging interviews and essays provide openings for continual self-reflection on how Critical Theory can continue to broaden and deepen its focus further, openings which seem imperative in an increasingly diverse world.' - J. Ann Tickner, University of Southern California, USA

• Introduction: The Life of Critique Shannon Brincat, Laura Limes and Joao Nunes Part 1: Interviews 1. "For someone and for some purpose": An Interview with Robert W. Cox 2. Citizenship, Community and Harm in World Politics: An Interview with Andrew Linklater 3. Challenging the Ideas that Made Us: An Interview with Ken Booth 4. The Test of Practice: An Interview with Richard Wyn Jones Robert Cox, Andrew Linklater, Ken Booth and Richard Wyn Jones Part 2: Rethinking the Origins 6. The ‘Secular’ Subject of Critical International Relations Theory Mustapha Kamal Pasha 7. Vico contra Kant: The Competing Critical Theories of Cox and Linklater Richard Devetak Part 3: Debating the Limits 8. Orientalism and The Poverty of Theory Three Decades On: Bringing Eastern and Subaltern Agency Back Into Critical IR Theory John M. Hobson 9. Uncritical Theory Brooke Ackerly 10. What is Critical about Critical Theory Revisited: The Case of Four International Relations Scholars and Gender Jacqui True 11. The Continuing Appeal of Critical Security Studies Pinar Bilgin Part IV: Future Directions 12. Beyond (Western) IR Theory: The Post-Colonial Tradition and the Restructuring of (Critical) IR Theory Mark Neufeld 13. ‘Come In, Make Yourself Uncomfortable!’ Some Thoughts on Putting Critical Theory in its Place Martin Weber 14. The Potential and Perils of Opposition Michael C. Williams 15. Turning Towards the World: Practicing Critique in IR Kimberly Hutchings