Critical Theory and International Relations: A Reader - Softcover

"Critical Theory and International Relations will quickly become the standard reference for those interested in thinking dialectically about global politics. Roach covers the epistemological and theoretical diversity within critical theory with aplomb. A major accomplishment."

--Randolph B. Persaud, American University, Washington, D.C.

"Critical Theory and International Relations is in my view a significant contribution to the vigorous debates bearing on the interpretation of critical social thought and its relevance to international politics.  The introduction by Steven Roach is extremely clear, thorough, and helpful.  Topical, timely, and well-organized, this volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the power of critical theory to provoke challenging questions about the conditions and aims of global politics today."

--Patrick Hayden, University of St. Andrews

"Critical theory, broadly defined, is an integral part of contemporary international relations scholarship. With well-chosen selections from key texts spanning two centuries of critical theory, Roach traces the lineage of ideas animating some of the most exciting work in the field. This book provides an excellent introduction for the novice and a useful resource for the already initiated. It will be widely used."

--Mark Laffey, Department of Politics and International Studies SOAS, University of London

"In a period marked by the upsurge of militant ideologies―from dogmatic fundamentalism and jihadism to chauvinism and neo-imperialism―nothing seems more urgently required than a revival of critical questioning as exemplified by the tradition of "critical theory." At the same time, given the relentless process of globalization, there is also a need to rescue that tradition from a certain Eurocentric focus and extend its insights to the global arena. Steven Roach's reader seeks to meet both demands by offering a historical overview of critical theorizing from the Enlightenment to its present-day encounter with international politics. One can only hope that the volume will prompt widespread critical reflection on the profound dilemmas and inequities in the contemporary global disorder."

--Fred Dallmayr, University of Notre Dame, author of Dialogue among Civilizations

This innovative new Reader provides students, scholars, and practitioners with a comprehensive overview of essential works of critical theory and critical international relations (IR) theory, including the writings of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Weber, Horkheimer, Adorno, Marcuse, Habermas, Linklater, and Honneth, among others.

Steven Roach frames each chapter showing the major tensions of four periods of the extension of critical theory into critical IR theory. This rich narrative, telling the story of how critical theory entered into international relations theory, seeks to deepen the reader's historical and sociological understanding of the emancipatory project of critical IR theory. Postmodernist and feminist texts are included to give context to the question of whether the discipline is in crisis or is working toward a cohesive and reflexive framework.