The essential contestability of the theories of International Relations has remained a constant aspect of its study. Conventional accounts, however, render debates about theory more manageable by their tendency to roam within the boundaries established by the allegedly timeless discourse between idealist and realist conceptualizations. Idealism and Realism in International Relations accepts the premise that idealism and realism form the fundamental axis of contention in the subject. It rejects as mistaken, however, the tendency to treat these visions as paradigms . Robert Crawford instead conceives them as philosophical fautlines that do not merely divide the field, but militate against its depiction as a consolidated academic discipline. The author argues for a revised conception of International Relations, that takes heed of the fundamental irreconcilability of its theories while continuing its concern with important substantive issues.