Description
This paper examines an overlooked site of intersection between pacifism, theology, and International Relations (IR) theory. Frequently discussed as a key theoretical approach to IR, the ‘English School’ investigates the normative dynamics, practices, and intersubjective structuration of order co-constituting International Society, i.e. societies of states. Traditionally employing Martin Wight's ‘Three Traditions of International Theory’ (Realism, Rationalism, and Revolutionism), the International Society approach has overlooked a coherent pattern of pacifist international thought, known as ‘Inverted Revolutionism.’ Despite its potential to illuminate contemporary political phenomena, this has been overshadowed by a prejudice that all transformative Revolutionism is inherently violent. This paper rearticulates Wight's forgotten tradition of Inverted Revolutionism through an interpretive fusion with Judith Butler’s feminist-oriented nonviolent political thought, critically recentring nonviolence within international theory. Ultimately, this article (a) revitalises pacifism as central to international theory, broadening conceptual and analytical tools, and (b) contributes to debates on nonviolence, bringing international political theory into the fold. Subsequently, this paper revitalises pacifism within International Relations theory, addressing core challenges and needs for contemporary normative scholarship of pacifism in a global world. By integrating nonviolent thought and broadening analytical tools, it promotes diverse perspectives essential for advancing international studies in today’s complex political landscape.
