Emerging Late-Modern Reconstructivism

In contrast to mainstream International Relations and Peace Research, it is argued that the growing body of `critical theoretical' literature can be better grasped in terms of a return to particular, local and timely matters and to practical philosophy than as utterly relativist/nihilist meta-theorizing. In this review of recent books of Toulmin, Walker, Der Derian and Gill, it is thus appropriate to talk about an emerging `late-Modern reconstructivism'. The `return' to particular, local and timely does not mean sinking into the vice of parochialism. Rather, in Walker's terms, the point is that International Relations and Peace Research should be able to break with the Modern particular/universal and inside/outside dichotomies inherent in all standard accounts of political communities. It is finally also suggested how it might be plausible to reconstruct the notions of `world citizenship' and `global security community'.