Constructing Causal Realist Accounts: Causal Republicanism and Causation as Interpretation in International Relations

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/desafios/a.15389

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Published: Jun 16, 2026
Issue: Vol. 38 No. Especial (2026): 15 años de RedIntercol: Una radiografia de la disciplina en Colombia
Section Thematic Dossier


Keywords: causation language critical realism interpretation causal republicanism

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Authors

German C Prieto
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

Abstract

By engaging the philosophy-physics stance of ‘Causal Republicanism’, this article addresses causation as an interpretive tool for making sense of the relationships between things in the world. Even though several linguists and realist philosophers have underscored the relevance of language for science as an interpretation of what is real, philosophical realist accounts of causation in International Relations (IR) often neglect the importance of language and interpretation for providing causal explanations. In order to vindicate the interpretive character of causation, this article offers a sample of critical realist analysis of the causal power of ideas in a case of regionalism pursuit, showing that incorporating a causal republicanist view into causal realist accounts may improve the provision of causal explanations, without giving away their realist-laden conception of causation

How to Cite
Prieto, G. C. (2026). Constructing Causal Realist Accounts: Causal Republicanism and Causation as Interpretation in International Relations. Desafíos, 38(Especial), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/desafios/a.15389
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