International Relations in France

6Conclusion

French IR and social science writing between state and discipline

In terms of research practice, French IR is caught between literary Cartesianism and the modern social science article model, between the state and the social science discipline. This outcome was probably a result of the strength of literary Cartesianism as deep structure in French state- and nation-building. These are the fundamental analytical arguments made so far. The overall theoretical claim is that it is possible, fruitful and perhaps necessary to focus on the forms – rather than content – of modern social science when trying to account for the development of national varieties in the international patterning of the social science disciplines over time in a comparative ...