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The Human Subject in International Studies:
An Outline of Research Programmes Extending to the
Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences
Pami Aalto
FIRST DRAFT
Jean Monnet Professor
Department of Political Science and International Relations
Director, Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence
33104 University of Tampere, Finland; <pami.## email not listed ##>
Paper to be presented in the International Studies Association (ISA) annual
conference, 15-18 February 2009, New York, panel ‘Multidisciplinarity in
International Studies’, Sunday 10.00AM
Abstract:
This paper enters the recent debate on the place of the human subject in international studies, with the
aim of linking it better to the main disciplinary concerns of International Relations (IR) and to related
research in other disciplines and fields of study. It is found that most of the main theoretical traditions
of IR reserve some place for the human subject. However, these places remain imperfectly linked to
suitable middle-range theories and other literatures on the human subject which would help with
conceptualizing those places better. Moreover, in practical research efforts little or no empirical content
is sought to fill the places reserved for the human subject. In order to correct this state of affairs the
paper adapts some elements of the methodology of scientific research programmes of Lakatos to social
scientific research. It is suggested that the Lakatosian ‘positive heuristics’ of the main theoretical
orientations of IR – the possibilities for proposing new models and conceptualisations that keep
research programmes going – represents a promising route for outlining what multidisciplinary linkages
can be made to enrich and structure better the debate on the human subject. The paper argues that in
order to exercise serious impact in IR, such multidisciplinary linkages must be sufficiently compatible
with the ontological, epistemological, explanatory and normative assumptions of the available positive
heuristics in the main theoretical orientations. The paper then concludes by outlining three possible
broad directions whereby wider multidisciplinary research programmes on the human subject in
international studies can be developed: the humanist, scientific and social scientific directions.
1. Introduction
In 1997, Benjamin Solomon made a compelling plea for a return to the ‘first image’ or
the human subject in the discipline of International Relations (IR). He noted that the
main theoretical orientations of IR at the time – realism and liberalism – both explain
the destiny of humankind by means of ‘impersonal, indirect, under-the-surface, and
inevitable trends of forces, benign or malign’ (Solomon 1997, 249). Solomon wanted
to help citizens understand better their ability to influence the operation of those
impersonal forces. This would entail nothing less than launching a global education
project, a herculean task with which peace organisations and movements had
previously failed. But progress with such a task could help with creating some
preconditions for new accommodative and cooperative interactions and transnational
institutions. In this manner IR theory would also be geared to understanding better the
role that citizens play as anchors of the interstate system. Overall, Solomon argued
that an action programme of this kind would empower the global citizenry to changing
the system towards one that better guarantees good life (ibid., 249-55).
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