The limitations of ir theory regarding the environment: lessons from the anthropocene

Abstract Despite its relevance in the global arena, the environment does not receive the attention that it deserves within the discipline of International Relations (IR). An analysis of all of the articles published in 20 journals of relevance in IR between 2004 and 2014 supports that environmental issues have largely been disregarded. This article traces IR’s distant attitude towards the environment to its conventional disciplinary structures, arguing that the planet’s new conditions challenge the discipline’s dominant theory. It is suggested that, by rewriting itself and embracing the Anthropocene concept, IR may enhance its relevance and strengthen its impact. Recognizing uncertainty, abandoning the nature-society dichotomy and adopting a post-anthropocentric perspective are some of the possible pathways presented for the future of IR.摘要 尽管环境问题在全球舞台上具有重要意义，但在国际关系学（International Relations，简称IR）领域内，其并未得到应有的重视。本文对2004至2014年间IR领域20种相关期刊刊发的全部论文进行分析后证实，环境问题在很大程度上遭到忽视。本文将IR学界对环境问题的疏离态度归因于其传统学科架构，并提出：地球所处的全新境况正对该学科的主流理论构成挑战。有观点认为，IR通过自我革新并接纳人类世（Anthropocene）概念，可提升自身的学科相关性与影响力。正视不确定性、摒弃自然-社会二元对立、采用后人类中心主义视角，便是本文为IR学科未来提出的若干可行路径。