Liang Yijian ：Micro Research Method for System Theory of International Relations

Abstract:The research of international relations theory is facing a difficult puzzledom between the rationalist research methods and the ability of explaining the reality. We believe one of the reasons is the international politics lacking a micro rationalist method for system theory of international relations. The assumption of various theoretical schools established in macro empirical basis, the different points of macro view lead to their theories different. Currently, the Neorealism, Neoliberalism, Constructivism and other mainstream theory put the countries as unitary actor, only study macroscopic part of international politics. In fact, there has a microscopic section in international politics that can use the rationalist research methods to research. Therefore, to create a micro rationalist method for system theory of international relations is necessary, and it will contribute to the theory’s scientific development. The article analyzes the mainstream theories of international relations from a micro-level perspective of international politics, imported a graphic as the need of the analysis, and got six inference based on the micro method. Hope this attempt will help us to better explore a nexus theory between system level and unit level of international relations theory.

Published at Global Review（Chinese）, No.6, 2013.