Book contents
- The Quest for Knowledge in International Relations
- The Quest for Knowledge in International Relations
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I What Is Knowledge?
- Part II How Do We Acquire Knowledge?
- 4 Correlational Research
- 5 Experiments
- 6 Rationalism
- 7 Bottom-Up Explanations
- 8 Practice Theory
- 9 Counterfactuals
- Part III How Do We Claim Knowledge?
- Part IV Reason and Cause
- Part V Conclusions
- Index
9 - Counterfactuals
from Part II - How Do We Acquire Knowledge?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 April 2022
Book contents
- The Quest for Knowledge in International Relations
- The Quest for Knowledge in International Relations
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Introduction
- Part I What Is Knowledge?
- Part II How Do We Acquire Knowledge?
- 4 Correlational Research
- 5 Experiments
- 6 Rationalism
- 7 Bottom-Up Explanations
- 8 Practice Theory
- 9 Counterfactuals
- Part III How Do We Claim Knowledge?
- Part IV Reason and Cause
- Part V Conclusions
- Index
Summary
Counterfactuals are central to positivist and interpretivist claims to knowledge. They are used to evaluate propositions, theories, and causal narratives and also to imagine them. In different ways, the failure to consider counterfactual claims or deploy counterfactual arguments weakens claims to knowledge in both research traditions.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Quest for Knowledge in International RelationsHow Do We Know?, pp. 125 - 136Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022