Woodcock, Alex; (2019) The Implicit Psychologies of International Relations Theory: An Intellectual History. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis explores the development of twentieth century International Relations (IR) Theory in connection with the history of the Psychological Disciplines. The main contention is that the concepts and frameworks developed by IR theorists throughout the 20th century were centrally informed by categories derived from the psychological disciplines across distinct eras. The argument has important implications for the historiographies of IR and the psychological disciplines, as well as implications for how one can approach intellectual history regarding the 20th century human sciences more broadly. The argument develops in three stages: 1) an introduction regarding how the thesis approaches the historical study of human scientific ideas via the notion of ‘Implicit Psychologies’; 2) three central case-studies that explore the work of central IR figures from different eras; and 3) a conclusion section which draws out new implications for the histories of IR, the psychological disciplines, and intellectual history in general. The introductory first stage of the argument develops the concept of Implicit Psychologies as a frame for understanding the history of the 20th century human sciences. It will discuss how an Implicit Psychologies approach was derived from the simple observation that theories in the human sciences, by definition, rely upon psychological categories implicitly pervading their intellectual landscape. The second stage of the argument applies the Implicit Psychologies approach to unpack the history of IR in detail. Focusing on three core figures representing different eras of IR theory – E.H. Carr, Kenneth Waltz, and Alexander Wendt – the thesis opens up their bibliographical networks and provides a rich new perspective upon both their individual works and the trajectory of the field as a whole. Finally, the third, concluding stage draws out the important implications for the history of IR, the history of psychology, and the history of ideas in general visà-vis the social sciences.

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