Relationality and rationality in Confucian and Western traditions of thought

Abstract

This paper provides a theoretical sketch of relationality within the field of International Relations (IR). It argues, contrary to what many IR scholars hold, that representation is practice: academic representation reflects the background of a community of practice and highlights what is embodied therein. Therefore, different cultural communities have different practices and draw from different background knowledge. Rationality, which serves as the dominant foundation for background knowledge within many Western communities of practice, permeates mainstream IR theory. Relationality performs a similar role in traditionally Confucian communities of practice, where relations enjoy a distinct ontological status over individual rationality. A relational theory assumes (1) that self-existence coincides with other-existence and coexistence, and (2) that self-interest coincides with other-interest. Based on these assumptions, it argues that relations select, meaning that in a social situation actors base their action on relations in the first place and that rationality is and can only be defined in terms of relations. The article uses the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an example to elaborate its theoretical point.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 We thank an anonymous reviewer for the suggestion to highlight this broader civilizational significance. We also point out that this societal harmonization has been critiqued by students of this Confucian tradition (for example, Nordin 2016).

Additional information

Funding

Chiang Ching-Kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange; Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.

Notes on contributors

Yaqing Qin

Yaqing Qin is a professor of International Studies at China Foreign Affairs University. He teaches and does research on International Relations (IR). He is interested in IR theory, culture and social theory, and global governance. He is an associate member of the Royal Academy of Belgium and a global fellow at Oslo Peace Research Institute. His work has appeared in many academic journals, including International Studies Review, the Chinese Journal of International Politics, and International Relations of the Asia-Pacific. His recent book is A Relational Theory of World Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2018). Email: [email protected].

Astrid H. M. Nordin

Astrid H. M. Nordin is a senior lecture at the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University. She is also director of Lancaster University China Centre, a senior fellow of the Institute for Social Futures and an associate research fellow at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs. Her academic interests include critical IR theories and China’s politics and foreign relations. She has published in various journals, including International Studies Review, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, and the Journal of Friendship Studies. Her recent work is China’s International Relations and Harmonious World: Time, Space and Multiplicity in World Politics (Routledge 2016). Email: [email protected].