Phrases

Question 1

Theory

Answer 1

Shows how things that seem unrelated or messy are actually connected.

It organizes evidence and explains how everything ties back to a simple, deeper idea.

Question 2

Ontology

Answer 2

Ontology is about what exists—the kinds of things we can study or learn about.

It’s like asking, “What’s out there that we can explore or understand?”

Question 3

Epistemology

Answer 3

Epistemology is about how we can learn and understand things that Ontology studies.

It’s like asking, “How can we figure this out?

Question 4

1st Great Debate

Answer 4

Idealism vs Realism (Interbellum)

Question 5

2nd Great Debate

Answer 5

Traditionalism vs Behavioralism (1950-1960)

Question 6

3rd Great Debate
The Inter-Paradigm Debate

Answer 6

Realism vs Neo-Funcionalism vs Pluralism/Liberalism vs. Structuralism/Dependency Theory (1970-1990)

Question 7

4th Great Debate

Answer 7

Rationalism vs. Constructivism vs. Post-Structuralism. Plus: Feminism, Postcolonialism & Non-Western IR Theory (1990-present)

Question 8

Persimony

Answer 8

Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.

Question 9

Falsifiability

Answer 9

It should be possible to conceive of an observation or an argument which proves the statement in question to be false.

Question 10

Fecundity

Answer 10

A theory should open new lines of inquiry.

Question 11

Self-reflexivity

Answer 11

A social and political theory should enable one to become more aware of one’s own social and political biases.

Question 12

Practical relevance

Answer 12

A social and political theory should be of help in generating effective and widely appreciated solutions to pressing social problems.

Question 13

Scientific paradigms

Answer 13

universally recognized scientific achievements that, for a time, provide model problems and solutions for a community of practitioners, i.e.,

what is to be observed and scrutinized
the kind of questions that are supposed to be asked and probed for answers in relation to this subject
how these questions are to be structured
how the results of scientific investigations should be interpreted
how is an experiment to be conducted, and what equipment is available to conduct the experiment.”