This paper starts from the fact that there is a substantial gap in terms of IR theory production, between the West and the rest. Its aim is to investigate how that gap might be closed, and for this purpose, the paper takes a broad view of what counts as theory. Its method is comparative history: to observe how IR theory has developed not just in the West, which is well-studied, but also in the periphery, which is not. The idea is to identify what material conditions and motivations in both locations were associated with the emergence of theoretical thinking about international relations, and how and why theoretical differentiations emerged, particularly within the West. It also looks at conditions and circumstances that seem to work against the successful production of IR theory. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of IR theory development in China on the basis of the lessons drawn from the history of IR theory development.

中文翻译：

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如何以及如何不发展 IR 理论：来自核心和外围的教训

本文从这样一个事实出发，即西方与其他国家在 IR 理论产生方面存在巨大差距。它的目的是研究如何缩小这一差距，为此，本文对什么是理论进行了广泛的探讨。它的方法是比较历史：观察国际关系理论如何发展，不仅在西方得到充分研究，而且在外围也没有得到发展。这个想法是为了确定这两个地方的哪些物质条件和动机与关于国际关系的理论思考的出现有关，以及理论差异是如何以及为什么出现的，特别是在西方。它还着眼于似乎不利于成功产生 IR 理论的条件和环境。