Trans-theoretical foundations in civilized debates in international relations

The purpose of this study is to investigate and explain how civilizational debate is formulated in international relations. In this regard, it is examined that the two main active spectrums of this debate on what basis of meta-theoretical foundations formulated their discussions and, accordingly, what theoretical and civilizational rules and propositions have introduced in international relations. The results show that the existence of two types of trans-theoretical foundations, especially in the ontological dimension of civilization, has led to see two spectrums of civilization theories in international relations. The first spectrum considers civilization as an objective situation, object or phenomenon, and the second spectrum considers civilization as a process, subject and phenomenon of discourse. Each of these civilizational readings has different outputs in the analysis of the international system, foreign policy, security, and so on.