历史唯物主义的国际关系理论体系建构

Systemical Construction of an IR Theory with Character of Historical Materialism

国际关系理论就是系统地阐述国家对外行为如何导致国际合作与冲突,从国家利益来阐述国家行为的根源。西方主流理论有的是从内部阐述国家行为的根源,有的是从外部结构阐述国家行为的根源,或者是两者的结合。历史唯物主义的国际关系理论也可以从这三个角度阐述国家利益,分析国际的冲突与合作。但历史唯物主义理论与西方主流理论的根本区别在于,前者坚持社会经济基础决定上层建筑,从历史具体的生产组织方式及其生产关系来阐述国家利益的形成,并且强调外部结构与国家是相互决定的结构—施动者之间的关系。就国家内部而言,历史唯物主义的理论认为国家具体历史的社会经济基础决定了国家利益、国家安全的具体内容;就外部结构而言,世界秩序的基础是具体的世界性生产体系,而且这种体系具有时代性的结构特征。这种具体的社会经济基础分析国家利益和世界结构体现了从抽象上升到具体的历史唯物主义方法。只有坚持这一方法,我们才能认识国家利益的具体性和特殊性、不同世界秩序的时代性,才能发现不同时代结构—施动者之间具体的互构关系。

IR theory is one that systemically explains how international interaction among nations leads to cooperation and conflict,what shapes national interest as origin of nation’s external act.The mainstream IR theories from the West explain those either from internal nature of nation or from international structure or from combination of both.IR theories of historical materialism can also shed light on cooperation and conflict according to the three approaches.The most fundamental difference between the mainstream IR theories of the West and IR theories of historical materialism is that IR theories of historical materialism historically and concretely build the analysis of national interest upon social economic base,highlighting that economic base that determines superstructure including national interest,and that relation of agent/structure is codetermined.From the view of inside of nation,IR theories of historical materialism claim that historical and concrete economic base of nation determines the concrete content of national interest and security.From the view of outside structure,the theories of historical materialism asserts that world order is built upon production system of world and production system of world in different epochs makes world order distinct.The approaches,internal or international,follow the principle of abstract generalization ascending into concretization that is an important method of historical materialism.Only embracing the basic elements does make an IR theory with character of historical materialism,which helps us find out concrete and unique national interest of each country,epochal character of different world order,and concrete codetermined relationship between agent and structure.