DANGEROUS LIAISONS - CRITICAL INTERNATIONAL THEORY AND CONSTRUCTIVISM

The 1990s have seen the emergence of a new 'constructivist' approach t o international theory and analysis. This article is concerned with th e relationship between constructivism and critical international theor y, broadly defined. Contrary to the claims of several prominent critic al theorists of the Third Debate, we argue that constructivism has its intellectual roots in critical social theory, and that the constructi vist project of conceptual elaboration and empirical analysis need not violate the principal epistemological, methodological or normative te nets of critical international theory. Furthermore, we contend that co nstructivism can make a vital contribution to the development of criti cal international theory, offering crucial insights into the sociology of moral community in world politics. The advent of constructivism sh ould thus be seen as a positive development, one that not only enables critical theorists to mount a more powerful challenge to the dominant rationalist theories, but one that also promises to advance critical international theory itself.