مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رسانی علوم و فناوری پژوهش سیاست نظری 2008-5796 20 37 2025 9 22 “Difference” and “Becoming”: Understanding the “Other’ in International Relations from a Dialectical Critical Realist Perspective «تفاوت» و «شدن»؛ فهم «دیگری» در روابط بین‌الملل از منظر رئالیسم انتقادی دیالکتیکی 167 204 fa حسین سلیمی دانشگاه تربیت مدرس رامز محمودی دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی 2024 11 11  “Difference” and “Becoming”: Understanding the “Other’ in International Relations from a Dialectical Critical Realist Perspective   Hossein Salimi<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">*</a> Ramez Mahmoudi<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">**</a>   This article seeks to answer the question: “How does Dialectical Critical Realism influence the understanding of the ‘‘Other” in international relations?” The central hypothesis of this study is that Dialectical Critical Realism, by acknowledging the multilayered nature of social phenomena and the multiplicity of existents in the sense of non-identity in international relations, regards dialectics as a mechanism of change and becoming, through which a distinct understanding of the Other—as a realist being in international relations—emerges. The perspective of Dialectical Critical Realism can be applied as a liberatory approach within critical paradigm theories to include marginalized and excluded Others.   Keywords: Dialectical Critical Realism, Other, Ontology, Non-identity, Difference and Becoming, International Relations.   Introduction and Objectives International relations constitute a field of interaction among actors with different identities, which raises the issue of the “Other” in international relations. Human relations, at both micro and macro levels, are conceptualized based on the relation between self and Other, and the manner in which this relation is understood determines the nature of international relations. In the process of understanding the Other, we often witness the reduction of being to knowledge within the framework of subject-object identity, resulting in the marginalization and suppression of the Other’s being. The problematic nature of international relations thus originates in this subjectivity and epistemic authority in the perception of the Other. The objective of this article is to apply the philosophy of science inherent in Dialectical Critical Realism as an interdisciplinary approach that mediates between positivism and post-positivism, addressing existing shortcomings in the understanding of international relations and particularly the question of the Other. Dialectical Critical Realism, emphasizing subject-object non-identity, revives the realist being of the Other in the sense of “difference” and conceives it as “becoming,” implying transformation and change.   Methodology Using Quentin Skinner’s methodological approach grounded in the theory of speech acts, this study seeks to answer the question: “How does Dialectical Critical Realism influence the understanding of the ‘‘Other’ in international relations?” The article’s hypothesis is that Dialectical Critical Realism, by recognizing the multilayered nature of social phenomena and the multiplicity of existents in terms of non-identity in international relations, conceives dialectics as a mechanism of change and becoming. Consequently, a distinct understanding of the Other as a realist being in international relations emerges. Dialectical Critical Realism can therefore serve as a liberatory approach within critical paradigm theories to incorporate marginalized Others.   Findings The diversity of social phenomena and collective identities has shaped both the form and nature of interactions among societies and states in international relations. In fact, this diversity and multiplicity of being and phenomena foregrounds the issue of self/Other distinction in international relations. However, the Other is frequently neglected, and its being is dismissed in contrast with the identity of the “self.” In the process of understanding, the Other is reduced to an object for the subject/self, and comprehension replaces the realist being of the Other. As a result, the Other is objectified and subsequently erased. Traditionally, in Western philosophy and particularly within international relations, being is subordinated to epistemology, and this epistemic fallacy results in the neglect of the Other’s existence. The Other’s being, due to subject-object identity aligned with the self/subject’s knowledge, is conceptualized as a subjective matter. This study proposes a new conceptualization of the Other in international relations as a realist being, grounded in ontological difference and a reinterpretation of dialectics, avoiding the reduction of the self/Other relationship to mere conflict and instead recognizing the agency of the Other in transforming structures and excesses produced by subjectivity. The reduction of the Other to an epistemic object, presenting an objectified reality of its being and negating its realist existence, is a primary issue in philosophical and international relations theories. Neglecting the Other’s independent and realist being in terms of difference or non-identity, and failing to understand the dialectical relation between self and Other, represents a critical conceptual gap in international relations theories, often interpreted solely through the lens of perpetual conflict between multiple identities. Insights from Bhaskar’s Dialectical Critical Realism, along with his reinterpretation of Hegelian dialectics, offer a potential pathway to constructively address this gap. According to Bhaskar, international relations are nothing but the relation between ourselves and others, and actors’ understanding of self and Other emerges in a dialectical and “inter-mental” relation between being/non-being or presence/absence, forming a process of being and becoming. The Other possesses an independent ontological identity, and its realist being cannot be reduced to subjectivity or the knowledge of the mind-based subject. Realist being and difference, in the conceptualization of the “Other,” constitute defining features of the socially constructed world. By embracing an ontology of difference as Other-being, one can escape absolutism and place liberation at the center of international relations theory.     Conclusion Mainstream international relations theories, influenced by Western philosophical traditions, reduce the Other’s being to knowledge and overlook its non-identical and plural nature. However, being and knowledge are not fixed; rather, they exist within a dialectic of negation and becoming, constantly reshaped in varying understandings of the Other. Dialectical Critical Realism, by integrating realist ontology, constructivist epistemology, and a re-conceptualized dialectic, offers an innovative approach in the philosophy of science, particularly for social sciences and international relations. 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Zhang, Tong (2023) “Critical Realism: A Critical Evaluation”, Social Epistemology, Vol.37, No.1, pp.15-29.       <a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">*</a> Corresponding Author: Professor of International Relations, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran. hoseinsalimi@yahoo.com <a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">**</a> Ph.D Student in International Relations, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran. mahmoodi.ramez@yahoo.com    در این مقاله، به دنبال پاسخ به این پرسش هستیم که «رئالیسم انتقادی دیالکتیکی، چه تأثیری بر فهم «دیگری» در روابط بینالملل دارد؟» فرضیة مقاله برای پاسخ به پرسش یادشده این است که رئالیسم انتقادی دیالکتیکی با پذیرش چندلایه بودن پدیدههای اجتماعی و هستیهای متکثر در معنای نااینهمانی در روابط بینالملل، دیالکتیک را نیز مکانیسم تغییر و شدن میداند که بر اثر آن، فهم متفاوتی از دیگری به&zwnj;مثابة هستی رئالیستی در روابط بینالملل شکل می&zwnj;گیرد. نگرش رئالیسم انتقادی دیالکتیکی را میتوان به &zwnj;عنوان رهیافت رهایی&zwnj;بخش در نظریه های پارادایم انتقادی برای شمول دیگریهای به حاشیه راندهشده به کار گرفت.

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