Analytic eclecticism—continuing the conversation
| Author | Rudra Sil |
| Published date | 01 September 2020 |
| Date | 01 September 2020 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0020702020962814 |
| Subject Matter | Scholarly Essay |
Scholarly Essay
Analytic eclecticism—
continuing the
conversation
Rudra Sil
Department of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, USA
Abstract
In this response to the contributions in this symposium, I approach the above articles
not as wholesale critiques requiring point-by-point rebuttal but as constructive engage-
ments that require clarification or invite further reflection as part of an ongoing con-
versation. In some instances, I revisit and elaborate upon the main motivations and
assumptions that Peter Katzenstein and I had in mind as we sought to lay out the
significance of analytic eclecticism for different audiences. At other times, I take it
upon myself to consider aspects of our approach that might be updated or reframed
in light of concerns raised by some of the authors. I specifically address four issues that
have been raised: the core logic of analytic eclecticism and its operationalization with
respect to once-dominant paradigms in International Relations; the link between com-
plexity, causality, and constitutive logics; the status of metatheory and the links between
eclecticism and pragmatism; and the relationship between scholarly debates and “real-
world” issues of policy and ethics. Whether the response is satisfactory or not, it is
worth bearing in mind that, for Peter Katzenstein and myself, analytic eclecticism was
always meant to be more of an ethos than a method or manifesto; that ethos long
predates our published work and is evident in the thoughtful contributions that con-
stitute this symposium.
Keywords
Analytic eclecticism, paradigms, pragmatism, metatheory, epistemology, International
Relations, social theory
Corresponding author:
Rudra Sil, Department of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, Ronald O.Perelman Center for Political
Science & Economics, 133 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6243, USA.
Email: rudysil@sas.upenn.edu
International Journal
2020, Vol. 75(3) 433–443
!The Author(s) 2020
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/0020702020962814
journals.sagepub.com/home/ijx
To continue reading
Request your trial