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The War of the Theories

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Guicciardini, Geopolitics and Geohistory

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in International Relations ((PSIR))

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Abstract

The chapter offers a trenchant critique of international relations theories which, while often useful as an aid to thinking about the world, tend to muddy the waters of clear understanding. While pointing to the confusion reigning in international relations theory—which reflects the current disorder in the world—and suggesting reasons for this, the chapter advocates a simpler, more reliable and less controversial method of understanding relations between states. Were it not for the very effort in trying to understand the theories considered, it would be difficult to explain geohistory, since it is the very fact that matters need clarification that leads us to geohistory as an approach.

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Mallinson, W. (2021). The War of the Theories. In: Guicciardini, Geopolitics and Geohistory . Palgrave Studies in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76537-8_3

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