Beyond the surface
on the International System concept
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-7289.2025.1.46232Keywords:
International System, International Relations Theory, International PoliticsAbstract
The International System as concept is overvalued as a way of describing the systemic level of analysis of international relations. This leads to a superficial use of the term, often placing it as a synonym for international relations itself or even for a supposed structure of international relations. This article therefore aims to discuss the concept of the international system, in order to present its constituent elements and the theoretical currents that use it. It points to the limited suitability of the notion of the international system in the face of the multiple demands for analysis of international relations; it concludes that reifying this concept succumbs to a theoretical deficiency and, respectively, analytical failure.
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