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A nation by any other name: A failure to focus on function
Henry Cerbone1, Isabella Turilli2
1Department of Biology, The John Krebs Field Station, Wytham, Oxford, UK henry.cerbone@biology.ox.ac.ukhttps://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/people/henry-cerbone.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|April 3, 2025
Summary
Moffett's interdisciplinary definition of society mirrors a nation-state, challenging its distinctiveness. A functional approach, rather than identity-based, may resolve this definitional tension for international relations.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- International Relations Theory
- Political Sociology
Background:
- The concept of 'society' is often defined politically, particularly in international relations.
- James Moffett proposes an interdisciplinary definition of society.
- Existing definitions may not adequately differentiate society from the nation-state.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze Moffett's interdisciplinary definition of society.
- To critically evaluate its relationship with the concept of the nation-state.
- To propose a resolution for definitional ambiguities in international relations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of international relations scholarship.
- Conceptual analysis of Moffett's definition of society.
- Comparative analysis between Moffett's society and the nation-state.
Main Results:
- Moffett's definition of society, when examined through international relations literature, appears to reiterate the characteristics of a nation-state.
- This creates a definitional overlap, questioning the distinctiveness of Moffett's concept.
- The proposed 'society' struggles to be differentiated from established political entities.
Conclusions:
- Moffett's interdisciplinary definition of society risks collapsing into the definition of a nation-state.
- A functional approach to defining society may offer a more robust distinction than an identity-based one.
- Resolving this tension is crucial for advancing theoretical clarity in international relations and social sciences.
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