Toward a Universal Theory of International Politics: Building on a Unified Concept of Power

The three major paradigms of international relations (Realism, Constructivism, Neoliberalism) have for too long fought a spurious war (Gallarotti, Cosmopolitan power in international relations: A synthesis of realism, neoliberalsm, and constructivism. Cambridge University Press, 2010b, Journal of Political Power, 14, 209–234, 2021). The contest has been a fabrication of method over substance, of concepts over theory, of epistemology over ontology. Basic assumptions and tenets have produced a set of paradigmatic lenses that interpreted similar outcomes in heterogeneous ways. But in fact, the three lenses themselves could very well be interfaced to produce a more thorough and integrated whole. The advantages would indeed be of value toward producing a better understanding of the nature and outcomes of international relations. This chapter proposes the foundations for building such an integrated vision of world politics by (1) integrating treatments of power among the paradigms and (2) synthesizing epistemological principals from the three paradigms into one unified paradigm: a Cosmopolitan vision of international politics.