Scientific Cosmology and International Orders (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, Series Number 147)

Scientific Cosmology and International Orders shows how scientific ideas have transformed international politics since 1550. Allan argues that cosmological concepts arising from Western science made possible the shift from a sixteenth century order premised upon divine providence to the present order centred on economic growth. As states and other international associations used scientific ideas to solve problems, they slowly reconfigured ideas about how the world works, humanity's place in the universe, and the meaning of progress. The book demonstrates the rise of scientific ideas across three cases: natural philosophy in balance of power politics, 1550-1815; geology and Darwinism in British colonial policy and international colonial orders, 1860-1950; and cybernetic-systems thinking and economics in the World Bank and American liberal order, 1945-2015. Together, the cases trace the emergence of economic growth as a central end of states from its origins in colonial doctrines of development and balance of power thinking about improvement. Cover 1 Half title 3 Series information 4 Title page 7 Copyright information 8 Dedication 9 Table of contents 11 List of figures 12 List of tables 13 Acknowledgements 14 1 Introduction: Science and the Transformation of International Politics 17 Changes in State Purpose 17 Explaining Change in International Order 21 Mechanisms and Processes of Change 22 Linking Micro, Meso, and Macro 24 The Cosmological Basis of State Purposes 26 My Theoretical Approach 28 Rethinking Science in International Relations 30 The Argument: From Means to Ends 36 The Plan of the Book 42 2 Cosmology and Change in International Orders 45 Explaining International Change 45 The Cosmological Elements of International Order 47 Micro: The Discursive Contexts of International Order 55 From the Micro- to the Meso- and Macro-Levels 58 Meso: Associational Change and the Emergence of New Purposes 62 The Conditions for Stable Associational Change 67 Macro: The Recursive Institutionalization of International Order 69 Pathways of Recursive Institutionalization 73 Scientific Cosmology and Change in International Order 79 Cosmological Shifts in Modern European Science 79 Scientific Ideas and the Conditions for International Change 81 Demonstrating the Argument: Research Design, Methods, and Alternative Explanations 86 Conclusion 89 3 Natural Philosophy in Balance of Power Europe, 1550–1815 91 Introduction 91 Cosmology and European Political Discourses, 1550 95 English and French Discourses, circa 1550 96 Religious and Aristocratic Discourses in European Order, circa 1550 103 The Cosmological Shift in Natural Philosophy, 1550–1700 106 Strategic Deployment: Aristocratic Brokers and Natural Philosophy, 1600–1700 111 Discursive Reconfigurations: Cosmology and the Balance, 1600–1800 114 The Rise of Interests, 1630–1713 114 European Discourse in the Treaty of Utrecht, 1713 118 Naturalizing the Balance of Power in the Eighteenth Century 121 The Cosmological Shift in Political Economic Thought, 1650–1750 125 Strategic Deployment: Reforming European States, 1700–1800 130 Cosmology and the Congress of Vienna, 1815 133 The Discourse of State Purpose at the Congress, 1814–1815 136 Cosmological Elements at the Congress, 1814–1815 140 The Statistical Commission and the Final Compromise 142 Explaining Balance of Power Politics 147 Conclusion 151 4 Darwin, Social Knowledge, and Development in the British Colonial Office and the League of Nations, 1850–1945 155 Introduction 155 The Cosmological Shift in the Historical Sciences, 1750–1850 159 Laissez-Faire Liberalism and International Colonial Discourse, 1850–1885 167 British Colonial Discourse, 1850–1885 169 International Colonial Discourse, 1850–1885 170 The Cosmological Shift in Social Knowledge, 1885–1945 172 The Invention of British Anthropology 173 Social Objects and Expertise 179 Strategic Deployment: Reforming the Colonial Office, 1895–1930 187 Importing Expertise 190 Discursive Reconfiguration: Evolutionary Developmentalism in the British Colonial Office, 1900–1935 192 Evolutionary Developmentalism in International Order, 1919–1935 197 Discourse of State Purpose 199 Cosmological Elements 202 Contestation in League Discourse 204 The Emergence of State-Led Development in the British Colonial Office 206 Objects and Interventions, 1925–1938 207 Detribalisation Necessitates Development, 1938–1945 211 Conclusion 218 5 Neoclassical Economics and the Rise of Growth in the World Bank and Postwar International Order, 1945–2015 223 Introduction 223 The Cosmological Shift in Physics, Engineering, and Economics, 1930–1960 228 Cosmology and Development Discourse, 1950–1970 243 Changes in Neoclassical Economics, 1950–1980 247 Strategic Deployment: McNamara’s Reforms 250 Discursive Reconfigurations, 1970–2000 253 Marginalizing Direct Poverty Alleviation, 1970–1977 254 The Rise of Growth, 1978–1986 258 Legitimating and Naturalizing Growth as Scientific and Technological Progress, 1986–2000 262 Scientific Cosmology and International Order, 2015 266 Discourse of State Purpose 270 Cosmological Elements 273 Conclusion 276 6 Conclusion: The Future of Cosmological Change 279 Introduction 279 Rethinking International Change 280 Generalizing Recursive Institutionalization 282 Scientific Cosmologies and the Future of International Order 290 Cooperation and Conflict in Scientific International Systems 290 International Change in the Anthropocene 294 Social Science as a Vocation 298 Text Selection 305 Chapter 3, 1550 306 Chapter 3, 1660–1713 307 Chapter 3, 1815 307 Chapter 4, British Colonial Office 307 Chapter 4, Conference of Berlin, 1885 308 Chapter 4, League of Nations, 1920–1935 308 Chapter 5, World Bank 308 Chapter 5, International Order 2015 309 Methodological Appendix 301 Introduction 301 Methods: Discourse Analysis and Process-Tracing 301 Coding Rules and Strategies 302 Weaving Discourse Analysis and Process-Tracing 305 Text Selection 305 Chapter 3, 1550 306 Chapter 3, 1660–1713 307 Chapter 3, 1815 307 Chapter 4, British Colonial Office 307 Chapter 4, Conference of Berlin, 1885 308 Chapter 4, League of Nations, 1920– 1935 308 Chapter 5, World Bank 308 Chapter 5, International Order 2015 309 References 310 Index 347 Introduction : Science And The Transformation Of International Politics -- Cosmology And Change In International Orders -- Natural Philosophy In Balance Of Power Europe, 1550-1815 -- Darwin, Social Knowledge, And Development In The British Colonial Office And The League Of Nations, 1850-1945 -- Neoclassical Economics And The Growth Imperative In The World Bank And Postwar International Order, 1945-2000 -- Conclusion : The Future Of Cosmological Change. Bentley Allan. Includes Bibliographical References (pags 294-330) And Index.