Adam Humphreys
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+44 (0) 118 378 6107
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Associate Professor
- Head of Department
Areas of interest
My principal research interests are in international relations theory and meta-theory, especially causation and causal explanation, realism and neo-realism, the English School, and the relationship between theory and history in international relations.
I also have research interests in British foreign and defence policy, strategy, and the ethics of war.
Postgraduate supervision
I welcome enquiries from research students working on international relations theory and/or meta-theory or on British foreign and defence policy.Background
I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and then International Relations (MPhil and DPhil) at the University of Oxford. I then spent a further seven years in Oxford in a variety of teaching and research roles before joining the University of Reading in 2013.
Academic qualifications
- DPhil International Relations, University of Oxford (2007)
- MPhil International Relations, University of Oxford (2003)
- BA (MA Oxon) Philosophy, Politics and Economics, University of Oxford (2001)
Awards and honours
I previously held significant research grants from the Economics and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the British Academy.
Websites/blogs
For more details about my research please see my academia.edu page.Publications
- Humphreys, A. (2020) Bull's political vision: past, present and future. Cambridge Review of International Affairs , 33 (4). pp. 471-473. ISSN: 1474-449X | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09557571.2020.1785120
- Humphreys, A. (2020) Causation in international relations. In: James, P. , (eds.) Oxford Bibliographies in International Relations. Oxford Bibliographies in International Relations | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/OBO/9780199743292-0274
- Humphreys, A. (2019) Realism, empiricism, and causal inquiry in International Relations: what's at stake?. European Journal of International Relations , 25 (2). pp. 562-587. ISSN: 1460-3713 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1354066118759179
- Humphreys, A. (2017) Concerts as a mode of ordering in world politics: an ideal-type approach. In: Muller, H. and Rauch, C. , (eds.) Great Power Multilateralism and War Prevention: Concert or Contest?. Routledge , Abingdon. pp. 46-62. ISBN: 9781138634435
- Suganami, H. , Carr, M. , Humphreys, A. , eds. (2017) The Anarchical Society at 40: contemporary challenges and prospects. Oxford University Press pp 384. ISBN: 9780198779605
- Humphreys, A. (2017) Bull's political vision. In: Suganami, H. , Carr, M. , Humphreys, A. , (eds.) The Anarchical Society at 40: Contemporary Challenges and Prospects. Oxford University Press ISBN: 9780198779605
- Humphreys, A. and Suganami, H. , eds. (2017) Problems of causation in world politics. Journal of International Relations and Development , 20. Palgrave Macmillan (4). ISSN: 1581-1980 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/jird.2016.14
- Humphreys, A. (2017) Causation, complexity, and the concert: the pragmatics of causal explanation in international relations. Journal of International Relations and Development , 20 (4). pp. 717-736. ISSN: 1581-1980 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/jird.2016.10
- Humphreys, A. and Suganami, H. (2015) Questioning Kenneth N. Waltz (1924-2013). In: Lebow, R. , Schouten, P. , Suganami, H. , (eds.) The return of the theorists: dialogues with great thinkers in international relations. Palgrave Macmillan , Basingstoke. pp. 313-321. ISBN: 9781137516442 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137516459_36
- Humphreys, A. (2015) National interest to global reform: patterns of reasoning in British foreign policy discourse. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations , 17 (4). pp. 568-584. ISSN: 1369-1481 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-856X.12053
- Humphreys, A. (2014) Realpolitik. In: Gibbons, M. , Coole, D. , Ellis, E. , Ferguson, K. , (eds.) The Encyclopedia of Political Thought. Wiley-Blackwell , Chichester. ISBN: 9781405191296
- Humphreys, A. (2013) Waltz and the world: neorealism as international political theory?. International Politics , 50 (6). pp. 863-879. ISSN: 1740-3898 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1057/ip.2013.34
- Humphreys, A. (2013) Applying Jackson’s methodological ideal-types: problems of differentiation and classification. Millennium: Journal of International Studies , 41 (2). pp. 290-308. ISSN: 1477-9021 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0305829812463476
- Humphreys, A. (2012) Another Waltz? Methodological rhetoric and practice in theory of international politics. International Relations , 26 (4). pp. 389-408. ISSN: 1741-2862 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047117812466817
- Humphreys, A. (2012) What should we expect of a liberal explanatory theory?. Journal of International Political Theory , 8 (1-2). pp. 25-47. ISSN: 1755-1722 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3366/jipt.2012.0024
- Humphreys, A. (2011) The heuristic application of explanatory theories in international relations. European Journal of International Relations , 17 (2). pp. 257-277. ISSN: 1460-3713 | doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1354066109344008