Michael Oakeshott's Political Philosophy of International Relations: Civil Association and International Society

182 Pages·2016·1.752 MB·English

by  Davide Orsi (auth.)

INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL THEORY
MICHAEL OAKESHOTT’S
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Civil Association and International Society
DAVIDE ORSI
International Political Theory
Series Editor
Gary   Browning
Oxford Brookes University
United Kingdom
Aim of the Series
The International Political Theory Series provides students and scholars
with cutting-edge scholarship that explores the ways in which we theorise
the international. Political theory has by tradition implicitly accepted the
bounds of the state, and this series of intellectually rigorous and innovative
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both the burgeoning of IR as a discipline and the concurrent interna-
tionalisation of traditional political theory issues and concepts. Offering a
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the titles in the series thus bridge the IR-political theory divide. The aim
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radical ways that complement and extend common forms of conceiving
international relations such as realism, liberalism and constructivism.
More information about this series at
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Davide   O rsi
Michael Oakeshott’s
Political Philosophy
of International
Relations
Civil Association and International Society
Davide   Orsi
Liceo Linguistico Internazionale
Italy
International Political Theory
ISBN 978-3-319-38784-0 ISBN 978-3-319-38785-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-38785-7
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016947043
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For Giulia
A
CKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My aim in this book is to show the implications of Michael Oakeshott’s
political philosophy for the understanding of international relations. I
explore Oakeshott’s ideas in the context of the debates that shaped his
thought and I try to elicit their relevance for current concerns in inter-
national political theory and normative international theory. With this
work, I wish to achieve two different goals: fi rst, to interpret Oakeshott’s
thought in the light of the theoretical study of international affairs; sec-
ond, to show that Oakeshott’s political thought is a signifi cant voice in
current debates. Those familiar with the fi eld at the intersection between
international relations theory and political theory will recognize my debt
to the work of David Boucher and Terry Nardin. I owe a special intel-
lectual debt to David for his example, generous advice, and support. I am
also very grateful to Bruce Haddock for our many conversations. His ideas
have incredibly enriched my work.
I thank Terry Nardin, Gary Browning, Peter Sutch, Stephen Turner,
Efraim Podoksik, William Mander, Carlo Altini, Giovanni Giorgini, Silvio
Cotellessa, Hanno Terao, Jia-Hau Liu, and Roy Tseng, who, on different
occasions, commented on various parts of this work. I have presented
drafts of the chapters at many conferences. I am grateful to all the partici-
pants for their comments and, especially, to the members of the British
Idealism Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association, and of the
Michael Oakeshott Association. I am particularly indebted to Andrew
Vincent and Colin Tyler for their comments on my work at those meet-
ings. I also acknowledge Stephen Turner, Noel O’Sullivan, Dario Antiseri,
Giuseppina D’Oro, James Connelly, Tim Fuller, and Leslie Marsh. I am
vii
viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
grateful to Palgrave Macmillan and, in particular, to Ambra Finotello and
Imogen Gordon Clark, who have been helpful and patient. All remaining
errors are my own.
I gratefully acknowledge the Arts and Humanities Research Council for
funding the research that has conducted to this book. I also acknowledge
the R.G. Collingwood Society and the Michael Oakeshott Association
for the awarding of travel grants. I thank the staff at: Biblioteca della
Fondazione Collegio San Carlo in Modena; Cardiff University’s Arts and
Social Sciences Library; and LSE Library’s Archive.
I am grateful to Giulia for her unfailing support, forbearance, and
encouragement throughout the years.
C
ONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
The Structure of the Book 3
Note 5
Bibliography 6
2 Experience and Political Philosophy 9
Introduction 9
Idealism and Truth 1 2
Modes of Experience and Orders of Inquiry 1 5
Individuality and the Absolute 1 9
The Method of Philosophy 2 2
The Conversation of Mankind 2 7
The Nature of Political Philosophy 2 9
Conclusion 3 4
Notes 36
Bibliography 3 8
3 Philosophy and International Relations 4 3
Introduction 4 3
The Scientifi c and the Classical Approach 4 4
Rationalism in Politics and the Critique to the 
Scientifi c Approach 4 6
The Use of History and Historical Laws 5 0
ix
x CONTENTS
The Normative Turn 5 8
Constructivism: Ontological Questions and the 
Interpretative Method 6 0
Conclusion 6 4
Notes 65
Bibliography 6 7
4 Moral Practices in International Relations
and Normative Reasoning 7 3
Introduction 7 3
The English School of International Relations and the 
Practice Turn in International Relations 7 4
Practices and Normativity 7 9
The Nature of Normative Reasoning and Moral Practices 8 1
Practices and Rules, Theorizing and Doing 8 6
Understanding Practices in International Relations 8 9
Conclusion 9 1
Notes 9 3
Bibliography 9 3
5 Civil Association and International Order 9 7
Introduction 9 7
Two Modes of Human Association 9 9
The Modern European State and the Ambivalent Character
of International Order 1 04
Practical and Purposive International Society 110
The Rule of Law, Customary International Law, and Historical
Reason 1 16
Customary International Law in World Politics 1 20
Conclusion 125
Notes 127
Bibliography 1 28
6 Realism, Universalism, and Evolving Morality 1 31
Introduction 131
Law and Morality in the Political Philosophy of 
International Relations 133