Praxis: On Acting and Knowing

556 Pages·2018·5.869 MB·English

by  Friedrich V. Kratochwil

Praxis
OnActing andKnowing
Praxis investigates both the existing practices of international politics and
relationsduringandaftertheColdWar,andtheissueofwhetherproblemsof
praxis (individual and collective choices) can be subjected to a “theoretical
treatment.”Thebookcomesintwoparts:thefirstdealswiththeconstitution
ofinternationalrelationsandtheroleoftheoreticalnormsinguidingdecisions,
inareassuchassanctions,thepunishmentofinternationalcrimes,governance,
and“constitutional”concern.Thesecondpartisdevotedto“theorybuilding.”
Whilea“theorization”ofpraxishasoftenbeenattempted,Kratochwilargues
thatsuchendeavorsdonotattendtocertainimportantelementscharacteristic
of practical choices. Praxis presents a shift from the accepted International
Relationsstandard of theorizing,byarguingfor the analysisof policydeci-
sionsmadein non-idealconditionswithin abroaderframework ofpractical
choices,emphasizingbothhistoricityandcontingency.
friedrich kratochwil has taught at the universities of Maryland,
Columbia, Denver and Pennsylvania, prior to becoming chair of interna-
tional relations at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, and later
attheEuropeanUniversityInstituteinFlorence(2003–2011).Hewaseditor
oftheEuropeanJournalofInternationalRelationsandhasservedasamem-
beroftheeditorialboardsforseveralleadingEuropean,American,andAsian
journals.HeistheauthorofRules,NormsandDecisions(Cambridge,1989),
The Puzzles of Politics (2011), and The Status of Law in World Society
(Cambridge, 2014).

Praxis
On Acting and Knowing
Friedrich Kratochwil
EuropeanUniversityInstitute,Florence
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www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781108471251
DOI:10.1017/9781108557979
©FriedrichKratochwil2018
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Civi ignoto
[T]heword“good”isusedinasmanysensesastheword“is”...Usingtechnical
languagewemaypredicate“good”inthecategoriesofa)substance,b)quality,
c)quantity,d)relation,e)time,f)space.Clearlythen“good”issomethingthat
canbesaidinoneandthesamesenseofeverythingcalled“good”...
Next,whatdotheymeanbythe“thingasitreallyis”?Forintheirown
terminology“manashereallyis”isjustanotherwayofsaying“man”...Ifwe
areallowedtoargueontheselinesweshallfindnodifferenceeitherbetween
thereallygoodandthegood,insofarasbotharegood.Norwillthereally
goodbeanymoregoodbybeingeternal.Youmightaswellsaythatawhite
thing,whichlastsalongtime,iswhiterthanonewhichlastsonlyoneday...
Thethoughtthataknowledgeoftheabsolutegoodmightbedesirableasa
meansofattainingthosegoodswhichamanmayacquireandrealizein
practice...Theargumenthasacertainplausibilitybutitmanifestlydoesnot
accordwiththeprocedurefollowedbythesciences.Foralltheseaimatsome
particulargoodandseektofillupthegapsintheirknowledgeofhowto
attainit.Theydonotthinkitanybusinessoftheirstolearnthenatureofthe
absolutegood...Orhowshalladoctororageneralwhohashadavisionof
theVeryForm[ofthegood]becometherebyabetterdoctororgeneral?
Aristotle,NicomacheanEthics,
Bk.I,iv(1096a19–1097a15)
Inallincidentsoflifeweoughtstilltopreserveourskepticism...Nayifwe
arephilosophers,itoughtonlytobeuponskepticalprinciplesandfrom
inclinationwefeelemployingourselvesinthatmanner...
Whilewarmimaginationisallowedtoenterintophilosophy,andthe
hypothesesembracedmerelyforbeingspeciousandagreeable,butwerethese
hypothesesonceremoved,wemighthopetoestablishasystemorsetof
opinions,whichifnottrue(forthatperhapsitistoomuchtobehopedfor)
mightatleastbesatisfactorytothehumanmind,andmightstandthetestof
themostcriticalexamination...
Generallyspeaking,theerrorsinreligionaredangerous,thosein
philosophyonlyridiculous.
DavidHume,ATreatiseofHumanNature,
Bk.I,part4,sec.7
Arulestandstherelikeasignpost.Doesthesignpostleavenodoubtabout
thewayIhavetogo?
IfIhaveexhaustedalljustificationsIhavereachedbedrockandmyspade
isturned.ThenIaminclinedtosay:ThisissimplywhatIdo.
LudwigWittgenstein,
PhilosophicalInvestigations,paras.85and217
Contents
Acknowledgments page x
Introduction 1
TheProblemofPraxisandits“Theoretical”Implications 1
ThePlan(s)oftheBook 4
1 Constructivism and the Practices of(International)Politics:
The Case for aHumean Approach 13
1.1 Introduction 13
1.2 TheConstructivist“Core”andtheNeedfora“Thick”
Constructivism 21
1.3 ThePositiveHeuristicsofConstructivism 32
1.4 TheSetofSubstantiveProblems:Law,Politics,andSociety 42
1.5 Conclusion 45
2 Constituting 47
2.1 Introduction 47
2.2 TheProblemofa“System,”theContestedMeaningof“Society,”
andtheRoleofLaw 51
2.3 FormsofDifferentiation 62
2.4 Conclusion 74
3 Changing 75
3.1 Introduction 75
3.2 On“SovereignAuthority” 77
3.3 JurisdictionandOrganizations 93
3.4 Conclusion 102
4 Showing 104
4.1 Introduction 104
4.2 TheIssuesofTransparency 110
4.3 ObservationsandInspections 117
4.4 RitualDancesandSelf-FulfillingProphecies 122
4.5 TransparencyorAccountability:TheMediaandtheEmergence
ofaGlobalPublicSphere? 134
4.6 Conclusion 148
vii
viii Contents
5 Guiding 149
5.1 Introduction 149
5.2 TheStrangeSymbiosisofRealismandLegalism 151
5.3 DiscretionandUniqueness 156
5.4 TheRoleofNorms:SomeSocialScienceExplanations 165
5.5 SomeCommonPuzzles:RuleGuidanceandExplainingwithNorms 174
5.6 PracticalReason 180
5.7 Conclusion 191
6 Sanctioning 192
6.1 Introduction 192
6.2 Sanctioning(Approving) 200
6.3 SanctionsandSelf-Help 206
6.4 SanctionedSelf-Help:TheFeud 211
6.5 Self-Defense 216
6.6 Countermeasures 222
6.7 SanctionsandMultilateralism 228
6.8 Reprise:AssessingtheImpactofSanctionsbyComparingCases 236
7 Punishing 249
7.1 Introduction 249
7.2 TheMovetoPunishmentandItsProblems 252
7.3 The“We”andAuthorization 257
7.4 TheNarrativesofLawasManagementandLawasDeliverance 265
7.5 GettingtheStoryRight:TheStrangeDisappearanceofAggression
andtheEmergenceofthe(Paradigmatic)VictimandPerpetrator 274
7.6 WhyNotAllRoadsShouldLeadtoRome(orTheHague) 288
8 Remembering andForgetting 311
8.1 Introduction:TheProblemofHistoryforTheory-Building 311
8.2 TheSecondDebateRevisited 316
8.3 Memory,Identity,andAction 326
8.4 SocialReproductionandChange 332
8.5 DealingwiththePast 338
8.6 Conclusion 348
9 Knowingand Doubting 350
9.1 Introduction 350
9.2 HumeandtheEpistemologicalProject 354
9.3 SituatingthePuzzleof“HumanNature” 361
9.4 Hume’sAnswersto“Philosophy”(IdealTheory):NaturalHistory,
Convention,andConversation 374
9.5 Conclusion 389
10 Acting 391
10.1 Introduction:ThePracticeTurn 391
10.2 ThePrivilegeof“Theory” 394
10.3 OfProgress,theAccumulationofKnowledge,andtheDialectic
ofAction 401
10.4 Historicity:ItsConceptsandSemantics 405
10.5 Time,Action,andtheCommonWorld 410
10.6 Conclusion 423