Politics and Paradigm Preferences: The Implicit Ideology of International Relations Scholars

Are international relations scholars objective observers of political events, or do our political preferences influence the way in which we see the world? This article explores that question using data from a survey of international relations scholars. It develops and tests hypotheses about how we might expect adherents of particular paradigms to identify themselves politically on a left-right scale based on the resonance between the content of ideology and the key propositions of different schools of thought in IR. Although they are relatively centrist, I find that realists are the most conservative and right-leaning of international relations scholars, while Liberals are more liberal and left-leaning. Although neither approach has any intrinsic ontological content, rationalism and constructivism also have a distinct ideological profile, the former being more conservative than the latter. Post-positivist epistemological commitments are associated with the political left. More importantly, there is an interaction between ontology and epistemology. Positivism plays a role in breaking the link between political values and paradigm choice. Nonpositivists demonstrate the strongest connection between ideology and international relations approach. I consider the implications of these findings for the use of paradigms in international relations theorizing, arguing that they should make us more circumspect about the use of paradigms in our discipline.

国际关系学者究竟是政治事件的客观观察者，还是自身的政治偏好会影响观察世界的视角？本文基于针对国际关系学者的调研数据探讨该问题，并基于意识形态内涵与国际关系不同学派核心主张之间的契合度，构建并检验相关假说，以探究特定范式的拥护者会如何在左右政治光谱中定位自身的政治倾向。尽管整体而言国际关系学者多持中间立场，但本文发现，现实主义（realism）拥护者是其中最为保守且偏向右翼的群体，而自由主义（liberalism）拥护者则更为开明且偏向左翼。尽管两类研究路径均不具备固有本体论内涵，但理性主义（rationalism）与建构主义（constructivism）同样具备鲜明的意识形态特征，其中前者较后者更为保守。后实证主义（post-positivism）的认识论立场与左翼政治倾向相关。更为关键的是，本体论与认识论之间存在交互效应。实证主义（positivism）有助于切断政治价值观与范式选择之间的关联，而非实证主义者则展现出意识形态与国际关系研究路径之间最强的关联性。本文还探讨了上述发现对国际关系理论研究中范式运用的启示，主张这些发现应促使本学科研究者在使用范式时更为审慎。