● Student- swarnapuspa LENJIA
● Subject - international relations
● Topic - theory or approaches to the study of international relations
● FOR UGC NET, POLITICAL SCIENCE
THEORIES OR APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
examine these approaches it shall be desirable to understand the meaning of term
‘approach’. According to Vernon Van Dyke, an approach “consists of a criteria of
selection—criteria employed in selecting the problems or questions to consider and in
selecting the data to bring to bear; it consists of standards governing the inclusion and
exclusion of questions and data.” In simple words an approach is a set of standards
governing the inclusion and exclusion of questions and data for academic purposes. It
implies looking at the problem from a particular angle and explaining the phenomenon from
the same angle. As different scholars have adopted different criteria for selecting problems
and data and adopted different standpoints, this has resulted in different approaches for the
study of international relations.
The various approaches for the study of international policy have been divided by Hedley
Bull into two categories (1) classical approach and (2) scientific approach.
Classical or Traditional Approach
The classical approach is also known as traditional approach. This approach was in vogue
till the middle of the last century, even though at present certain writers continue to subscribe
to this approach. These writers mainly made descriptive analysis of international relations.
The main objective of the scholars adopting traditional approach was “to report and analyse
current international problems and to speculate on these sources and outcomes of various
policy alternatives for specific states or for international organisation.” According to Hedley
Bull the traditional approach is “the approach to theorising that derives from philosophy,
history and law, and that is characterised above all by explicit reliance upon the exercise of
judgement and by the assumptions that if we confine ourselves to strict standards to
verification and proof there is very little of significance that can be said about international
relations that general propositions about this subject must therefore derive from a
scientifically imperfect process of perception or institution, and that these general
propositions cannot be accorded anything more than the tentative and inconclusive status
appropriate to their doubtful origin.” (Hedley Bull, “International Theory: the Case for a
Classical Approach,” World Politics, April 1966, PP 361).
In other words the traditional approach is basically normative, qualitative and value
judgement approach. According to Grieves, the value of a work based on this approach is
“usually measured by the reputation of the scholar, the extent to which his or her judgement
is trusted, the evidence of thorough research, the lucidity with which the discussion is
● Subject - international relations
● Topic - theory or approaches to the study of international relations
● FOR UGC NET, POLITICAL SCIENCE
THEORIES OR APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
examine these approaches it shall be desirable to understand the meaning of term
‘approach’. According to Vernon Van Dyke, an approach “consists of a criteria of
selection—criteria employed in selecting the problems or questions to consider and in
selecting the data to bring to bear; it consists of standards governing the inclusion and
exclusion of questions and data.” In simple words an approach is a set of standards
governing the inclusion and exclusion of questions and data for academic purposes. It
implies looking at the problem from a particular angle and explaining the phenomenon from
the same angle. As different scholars have adopted different criteria for selecting problems
and data and adopted different standpoints, this has resulted in different approaches for the
study of international relations.
The various approaches for the study of international policy have been divided by Hedley
Bull into two categories (1) classical approach and (2) scientific approach.
Classical or Traditional Approach
The classical approach is also known as traditional approach. This approach was in vogue
till the middle of the last century, even though at present certain writers continue to subscribe
to this approach. These writers mainly made descriptive analysis of international relations.
The main objective of the scholars adopting traditional approach was “to report and analyse
current international problems and to speculate on these sources and outcomes of various
policy alternatives for specific states or for international organisation.” According to Hedley
Bull the traditional approach is “the approach to theorising that derives from philosophy,
history and law, and that is characterised above all by explicit reliance upon the exercise of
judgement and by the assumptions that if we confine ourselves to strict standards to
verification and proof there is very little of significance that can be said about international
relations that general propositions about this subject must therefore derive from a
scientifically imperfect process of perception or institution, and that these general
propositions cannot be accorded anything more than the tentative and inconclusive status
appropriate to their doubtful origin.” (Hedley Bull, “International Theory: the Case for a
Classical Approach,” World Politics, April 1966, PP 361).
In other words the traditional approach is basically normative, qualitative and value
judgement approach. According to Grieves, the value of a work based on this approach is
“usually measured by the reputation of the scholar, the extent to which his or her judgement
is trusted, the evidence of thorough research, the lucidity with which the discussion is
