This chapter provides an overview of the key philosophy of social science debates
within International Relations (IR) theory. 1 Often IR theorists do not address the philosophy
of social science explicitly, but nevertheless philosophical issues are implicit
in their claims. Since the mid-1980s, ‘meta-theoretical’ debates surrounding the philosophy
of social science have played an important and highly visible role in
the discipline. This chapter explores both the implicit and explicit roles played by
meta-theoretical assumptions in IR. It begins with a brief historical overview of the
philosophy of social science within IR. The contemporary disciplinary debates
surrounding the philosophy of social science are then examined. The fi nal section
highlights some of the key ways in which meta-theoretical positions shape theoretical
approaches to the study of world politics.