نقد مبانی، اصول و قدرت تبیین واقع‎گرایی نئوکلاسیک (مطالعه موردی: رویکرد تطبیقی با نقد موازنه در نوواقع‎گرایی والتزی)

هدف این مقاله، بررسی واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک و نقدهای وارد بر آن در ابعاد مختلف اصولی، مبانی و قدرت تبیین است. در بخش نخست مقاله کوشش شده تا مبانی نظریۀ واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک در بستر پارادایم واقع گرایی بررسی شود. بخش دوم مقاله به بررسی اجمالی نقد در روابط بین الملل اختصاص داده شده و در نهایت در بخش سوم مقاله نیز تمرکز بر نقدهای وارد بر واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک است. پرسش اصلی پژوهش حاضر آن است که: مهم ترین نقدهای وارد بر واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک چیست و این مهم چه نسبتی با نقد نئورئالیسم دارد؟ روش پژوهش مقاله، تطبیقی است، زیرا علاوه بر بررسی نظری نقدهای وارد بر واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک به بررسی تطبیقی مفهوم موازنه در جریان فکری نوواقع گرایی و واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک و سپس نقد این مهم نیز می پردازد. مهم ترین یافته های پژوهش بیانگر آن است که اندیشمندان، نقدهای متعددی بر مبانی، اصول و قدرت تبیین نظریه واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیم وارد کرده اند. در زمینه قدرت تبیین، اندیشمندان معتقدند که عدم انسجام درونی و هنجاری بودن این نظریه از قدرت تبیین آن کاسته است. در زمینه اصول این نظریه نیز به دولتمحوری، موازنه ناقص، نقش ادراکات رهبران و... نقدهایی وارد شده است و درباره مبانی نیز بسیاری معتقدند که واقع گرایی نئوکلاسیک به مبانی هستی شناسی و معرفت شناسی کامل نپرداخته است و در روش شناسی نیز دچار ابهام می باشد.

critique of the foundations, principles, and explanatory power of neoclassical realism (a case study: a comparative approach with the critique of balancing in waltzian neorealism)

the aim of this article is to examine neoclassical realism and the criticisms it has received in various aspects such as its principles, foundations, and explanatory power. in the first part of the article, an effort is made to analyze the theoretical foundations of neoclassical realism within the context of the realism paradigm. the second part of the article is dedicated to a brief overview of critiques in international relations, and finally, in the third part, the focus is on the criticisms directed at neoclassical realism. the main question of this research is: what are the most significant criticisms of neoclassical realism? the research method is descriptive, and the data collection method is based on library research.the main findings of the research indicate that neoclassical realism has been subject to multiple criticisms by scholars regarding its principles, foundations, and explanatory power. in terms of explanatory power, scholars argue that the internal inconsistency and the normative nature of the theory have diminished its explanatory capacity. regarding the principles of this theory, criticisms have been raised regarding state centrism, incomplete balancing, the role of leaders' perceptions, and more. concerning the foundations of this theory, many believe that neoclassical realism has not thoroughly addressed ontological and epistemological foundations and suffers from methodological ambiguity. international relations theories have always been subject to evaluation and critique, and this study aims to review neoclassical realism and examine the criticisms directed at it. although neoclassical realism derives its core from the realism paradigm, it also pays attention to the level of structure and the characteristics of the international system. therefore, in terms of the level of analysis, this theory does not fit neatly into either macro or micro theories of international relations, as it simultaneously focuses on micro level aspects, such as states and leaders, and macro level factors, such as the international system. thus, it can be stated that neoclassical realism is an intermediate theory.although the main source of neoclassical realism is the realism paradigm, which includes both classical realism and structural realism, this theory presents fundamental critiques of the two preceding schools of thought and offers a distinctive theoretical approach. the most prominent distinction and critique of neoclassical realism, compared to the two earlier schools of realism, lies in the level of analysis, or in other words, the issue of structure agency. neoclassical realism goes beyond classical realism rsquo;s micro level perspective and focuses on the international system, while it also combines structural realism's macro level perspective with intermediary variables, creating a new synthesis of structure and agency. it views these two as interacting with each other and, in terms of the level of analysis, fits within intermediate theories.neoclassical realism introduces the concept of incomplete balancing. in this regard, the article aims to examine this key concept through a comparative analysis within the neoclassical balancing and neorealism paradigms. post neorealism theories have emerged in critique of neorealism, and by examining these critiques, it becomes evident that neoclassical realism proposes incomplete balancing and emphasizes the role of perceptions and identity in balancing, whereas conventional neorealism, by ignoring these factors, focuses solely on power maximization and balancing. a comparative analysis of critiques of balancing in conventional neorealism and the concept of incomplete balancing in neoclassical realism reveals that the critique of the latter emphasizes the integration of various macro and intermediary elements, such as identity and perception, which results in a less precise and specialized depiction. meanwhile, the critique of balancing in neorealism, as raised by neoclassical realists, overlooks the role of revisionist states in the international system. from this perspective, it can be concluded that although both schools of thought emerged within the same paradigmatic framework, their approaches to the concept of balancing and the critiques directed at balancing within each theory are different.regarding the positive critique of neoclassical realism, it is noted that this theory focuses on both domestic and international system level variables, as well as intermediary variables, offering a comprehensive view of multiple levels. if a synthesis among theories were to occur, neoclassical realism would serve as a successful example of such a synthesis. in conclusion, the research findings indicate that neoclassical realism has been subject to various critiques regarding its foundations, principles, and explanatory power. in terms of explanatory power, scholars argue that the theory's internal inconsistency and normative nature have reduced its explanatory capacity. criticisms regarding the theory's principles include state centrism, incomplete balancing, and the role of leaders' perceptions. regarding the foundations, many argue that neoclassical realism has not adequately addressed ontological and epistemological issues and suffers from methodological ambiguity. despite all these criticisms, neoclassical realism continues to attract scholarly attention because criticizing a theory does not imply its inefficacy, and no theory can be expected to achieve complete perfection. therefore, despite its shortcomings, neoclassical realism can still serve as a valuable guide for policymakers. keywords: neoclassical realism, incomplete balance, criticism of fundamentals, criticism of explanatory power and principled criticism. reference barkhil, scott, et al. 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