Araştırma Makalesi

Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth' Debate

Sayı: 21 17 Ağustos 2026
PDF İndir
EN TR

Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth' Debate

Öz

This article begins with the assumption that the long-standing theoretical debates within the newly century-old discipline of International Relations, which have been unfolding on an epistemological level, require an ontological reassessment. While the positivism-postpositivism debate particularly the one that emerged during the fourth debate, has provided significant benefits to the discipline through methodological pluralism and normative expansions, it has failed to present a unified paradigm on fundamental ontological issues such as the agent-structure relationship, causality and the nature of reality. In this context, the aim of this study is to reveal the discipline’s structural ontological shortcomings based on Roy Bhaskar’s theory of critical realism and to discuss whether this theory can provide theoretical groundwork for a new paradigmatic expansion that can be characterized as the “fifth debate”. The article is based on theoretical analyses conducted using a qualitative method and at a metatheoretical level. Focusing on Bhaskar’s depth ontology, critical naturalism, the transformative social action model and his understanding of causality, the contributions of critical realism to the discipline of International Relations are evaluated. The study finds that critical realism is both a strong candidate to be regarded as an alternative theory within the context of the fifth debate and a source of an ontological paradigm that informs disciplinary transformation.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Critical Realism, Ontological Turn, Fifth Debate

Teşekkür

Sürecin her aşamasında göstereceğiniz ilgi ve emeğe şimdiden minnettarım. Saygılarımla...

Kaynakça

  1. Al-Amoudi, I. (2007). Redrawing Foucault’s social ontology. Organization, 14(4), 543-563. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508407078052
  2. Allison, H. E. (2004). Kant’s transcendental idealism: an interpretation and defense. Yale University Press.
  3. Andrews, N. (2013). Beyond the ivory tower: a case for praxeological deconstructionism as a third way in IR theorising. Third World Quarterly, 34(1), 59-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2012.755011
  4. Archer, M. S. (1995). Realist social theory: the morphogenetic approach. Cambridge University Press.
  5. Archer, M., Bhaskar, R., Collier, A., Lawson, T., & Norrie, A. (1998). Critical realism: essential readings. Routledge.
  6. Ashley, R. (1984). The poverty of neorealism. International Organization, 38(2), 225-286. doi:10.1017/S0020818300026709
  7. Avcı, Y. (2026). Uluslararası ilişkilerin 100 yıl krizi: Carr, Bull ve ontolojik açmazlar. Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 16(2), 522-559.
  8. Avcı, Y., Arslantaş, E. (2025). Pozitivizm ve post-pozitivizm kıskacında uluslararası ilişkiler. Iğdır Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 38, 156-183.
  9. Avcı, Y., & Morçiçek, H. (2024). Uluslararası ilişkilerde yapı-yapan tartışması ve eleştirel gerçekçilik. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, (54), 102-122.
  10. Bhaskar, R. (1975). A realist theory of science. New York: Routledge.

Kaynak Göster

APA
Kurnaz, İ. (2026). Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 21, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441
AMA
1.Kurnaz İ. Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate. ÖHÜİİBFD. 2026;(21):1-18. doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441
Chicago
Kurnaz, İbrahim. 2026. “Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate”. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, sy 21: 1-18. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441.
EndNote
Kurnaz İ (01 Ağustos 2026) Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi 21 1–18.
IEEE
[1]İ. Kurnaz, “Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate”, ÖHÜİİBFD, sy 21, ss. 1–18, Ağu. 2026, doi: 10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441.
ISNAD
Kurnaz, İbrahim. “Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate”. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi. 21 (01 Ağustos 2026): 1-18. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441.
JAMA
1.Kurnaz İ. Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate. ÖHÜİİBFD. 2026;:1–18.
MLA
Kurnaz, İbrahim. “Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate”. Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, sy 21, Ağustos 2026, ss. 1-18, doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441.
Vancouver
1.İbrahim Kurnaz. Ontological Transformation in International Relations: The Rise of Critical Realism Towards the Fifth’ Debate. ÖHÜİİBFD. 01 Ağustos 2026;(21):1-18. doi:10.25287/ohuiibf.1762441