Dogmatic anti-dogmatism: Learning from Chris Brown

Abstract

International Relations theory has its own form of identity politics. Although coming under recent critique, the notion that theorists occupy ‘-isms’ that form essential parts of their academic identity is tenacious. Where does Chris Brown fit within this theoretical landscape, and what can we learn in a broader sense from examining this issue? This chapter argues that Brown does not fit easily into any of the prevailing theoretical categories and that his dogmatic anti-dogmatism on this issue provides us with a model for pluralism in International Relations (IR). Brown provides a paradigmatic model of an eclectic critical thinker, who applies the reflexive moment to his own thinking in ways that few critical theorists can match.