Embodied Epistemology as an Approach to the Study of International Relations

The question of how cognitive neuroscience can be helpful in studying International Relations has been discussed for almost a decade. How can positivist and individualistic methodologies be used with the knowledge that has a holistic viewpoint of the world? In order to apply this knowledge to studying world politics, it seems that we must first understand the epistemological dimensions of social neuroscience and the paradigms that govern it, as well as how these relate to epistemologies in international relations. In this article, we demonstrate how embodiment, as one of the new paradigms of cognitive sciences that reject Cartesian dualism and place bodily experiences at the center of knowledge, introduces new ways to study international relations that avoid reductionism and individualism. Using this framework, it is also possible to analyze how body-culture contributes to the development of international structures as both constitutive and causal mechanisms. The new generation of feminist theories, as well as the Practice and Postcolonial theories of International Relations, have taken this epistemology into account, which has provided a new angle on understanding international phenomena.