The Time of Global Politics
International Relations as Study of the Present
Published on 24. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
344 pages
978-1-009-38682-1 (ISBN)
Description
How can we better relate and respond to the political times we inhabit? Temporal relationships play a central role in the questions at the heart of global politics, but political commentators and observers focus almost exclusively on the past as a means of predicting and preparing for the future. Christopher McIntosh argues that, although past events are meaningful for our collective future, the present remains vitally important. McIntosh emphasises the importance of the present as a conceptual resource and analytical category for thinking about international politics. The present, he suggests, places an orientation toward difference and a recognition of the human limits of understanding alongside an emphasis on process and change. This book will shift current thinking about prediction and better enable the use of knowledge about international politics to meaningfully and positively intervene in present-day concerns.
Reviews / Votes
'McIntosh brings a new temporal orientation for studies of international politics, importantly encouraging us to embrace a conscious humility in our work and selves, a welcomed intellectual move, not least given the challenges we all face.' Kathryn M. Fisher, Johns Hopkins University 'Time matters more than ever in global politics, but not always in the way we thought. Embracing the present as the theoretical and empirical locus of politics, Christopher McIntosh forges a novel way to understand the work of prediction and grand theorizing, the study of foreign policy and war, and the vocation of IR. Sure-handed and bold in equal measure, he takes readers on a lively journey through philosophy and social theory, shedding new light on the politics of time and the times of global politics along the way. IR scholars of all sorts should read this book, but beware: you may never look at time, the present, or IR the same again.' Andrew Hom, University of Edinburgh '... an insightful and thought-provoking work that offers a new perspective on the purpose of international relations as an area of study.' Jennifer Bachner, Perspectives on PoliticsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
465 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-38682-1 (9781009386821)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
12/2023
Cambridge University Press
€126.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Christopher McIntosh is Assistant Professor of Politics at Bard College. His research focuses on developing a concept of time, war, and social theory in international politics, and he is one of the first IR scholars to establish time and temporality as a separate area of research inquiry and theory.
Content
1. Theorizing with the present: past, present, and future in international politics; 2. The temporal imaginary of international relations; 3. A presentist approach to international relations: a toolkit for political analysis; 4. The temporality of IR theories: global politics from the present; 5. The time of war; 6. Making America great again, again, and again; 7. Beyond disciplinary prediction: alternative futures; 8. Theorizing responsibly: temporality, positionality, and difference; Conclusion: toward an intellectual ethos for time scholarship in global politics.