Description
International society is usually recognised as consisting of territorial sovereign states. The 'state' has been conceptualised as the guarantor of order and justice within its own territory and as a single actor externally. In reality, however, the state is an institution made up of individuals and groups, and is not a single "actor". Moreover, it is not uncommon for an individual to belong to more than one group or institution. In such a 'reality' that cannot be reduced to a simple 'international society - state - individual' vertical relationship, what is the theoretical relationship between the individual and international society? While previous studies in IR have discussed specific individuals, such as particular politicians and practitioners, how individuals in general relate to international society has not yet been theorised.
This paper introduces the theoretical framework of "International Society" = International Society + International Society´. Put simply, "International Society" is a phenomenon, while International Society is 'something that has been regarded as an 'intersubjective reality', and International Society´ is 'cognition/imagination about the Other'. Individuals acquire International Society´ to take actions based on this cognition/imagination, which collectively forms International Society. This phenomenon is conceptualised as "International Society". By constructing this framework, this paper aims to theorise the relationship between the individual in general and international society, using 'cognition/imagination' as a key concept.
