Scientific Approaches to the Study of International Relations

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The essay explores the impact of the behaviorist turn in the 1960s on the debate surrounding positivist research in the social sciences, particularly within International Relations (IR). It highlights the ongoing 'science wars' between positivists and normativists, which have significantly influenced the epistemological identities and professional self-perceptions of IR scholars. This examination addresses the challenges posed by these conflicting methodologies and their implications for the discipline's development.