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A Certain Idea of Science: How International Relations Theory Avoids Reviewing the Cold War
- Journal of Cold War Studies
- The MIT Press
- Volume 1, Number 2, Spring 1999
- pp. 39-60
- Article
- Additional Information
So far, scholars of international politics have displayed relatively little inclination to use new evidence from Cold War-era archives to test their theories and generalizations. This indifference is unfortunate. The new archival evidence and memoirs can--and should--provide a reality check for theoretical debates. It is time for students of international relations to recognize the crucial link between historical explanation and theoretical propositions.