The English School, History and Theory

The purpose of this article is threefold: to give an account of the origins and development of the English School as a historically constituted entity; to distil from the writings of some of its early figures the English Schoolʼs views about how historical knowledge relates to the theory and practice of international relations; and to study the English Schoolʼs three major historical works and examine how their contributions relate to the theories of international relations. In its brief concluding discussion, it suggests what might be placed on the English Schoolʼs research agenda on the theme of ʻhistory and theoryʼ.