Professor Richard Devetak

Professor Western Political Thought

School of Political Science and International Studies
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Overview

Research Expertise

  • International relations theory
  • History of political thought
  • History of international thought
  • History of the states-system
  • Humanitarianism and intervention

Richard Devetak is Professor of the History of International Thought and was Head of the School of Political Science and International Studies from 2013 to 2018. He has published on the history of international thought, contemporary theoretical debates in international relations, humanitarian intervention, the ‘war on terror’, and globalisation’s implications for justice and the state, as well as on foreign policy, refugees, and national identity in the Australian context. His major contribution has been in the area of international relations theory, more specifically in the exposition and analysis of Frankfurt School Critical Theory and post-structuralism, and in international intellectual history.

He recently published a monograph titled Critical International Theory: An Intellectual History (Oxford University Press, 2018). His writings in these areas have been published in leading International Relations journals including International Affairs, Millennium and Review of International Studies. His current research interests include: the history of international thought and the history of the states-system in early modern Europe and beyond. He has held Visiting Fellowships at the Department of International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (2003), the Department of Politics, Institutions and History at University of Bologna (2008), and at the Department of Political and Social Sciences at the European University Institute, Florence (2012).

From 2020 he will be part of the Review of International Studies editorial team, led by Dr Martin Coward (Manchester). He will also commence work on a large multi-million dollar collaborative project, led by Prof. Halvard Leira (NUPI) and funded by the Research Council of Norway, on A Conceptual History of International Relations.

He has also made a major contribution to two popular international relations textbooks. He is the lead editor of An Introduction to International Relations: fourth edition (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2022) with co-editor Daniel McCarthy; and co-editor with Jacqui True of Theories of International Relations: sixth edition (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022).

Research Interests

  • Research interest includes
    History of international thought; International relations theory; Laws of war, terrorism and political violence; Humanitarian intervention.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Keele University
  • Masters (Coursework), Monash University
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, Monash University

Publications

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Supervision

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Publications

Featured Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Devetak, Richard (2022). Critical theory. Theories of International Relations. (pp. 119-140) edited by Richard Devetak and Jacqui True. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Academic.

  • Devetak, Richard and True, Jacqui (2022). Introduction. Theories of International Relations. (pp. 1-18) edited by Richard Devetak and Jacqui True. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Academic.

  • Devetak, Richard (2022). Post-structuralism. Theories of International Relations. (pp. 164-187) edited by Richard Devetak and Jacqui True. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Academic.

  • Devetak, Richard (2021). Reason of state in European international thought. Perspectives on international political theory in Europe. (pp. 29-47) edited by Vassilios Paipais. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-77274-1_3

  • Devetak, Richard (2021). Vattel’s reception in international relations. Concepts and Contexts of Vattel’s Political and Legal Thought . (pp. 296-320) edited by Peter Schröder . Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781108784009.019

  • Devetak, Richard (2021). Reason of state: an intellectual history. Routledge handbook of historical international relations. (pp. 277-288) edited by Benjamin de Carvalho, Julia Costa Lopez and Halvard Leira. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781351168960-26

  • Devetak, Richard and Tannock, Emily (2017). Imperial rivalry and the first global war. The globalization of international society. (pp. 125-144) edited by Christian Reus-Smit and Tim Dunne. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198793427.003.0007

  • George, Jim, Devetak, Richard and Weber, Martin (2017). Marxism and critical theory. An Introduction to International Relations. (pp. 64-78) edited by Richard Devetak, Jim George and Sarah Percy. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316855188.006

  • Devetak, Richard (2017). The modern state. An introduction to international relations. (pp. 170-184) edited by Richard Devetak, Jim George and Sarah Percy. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/9781316855188.013

  • Devetak, Richard (2013). 'The fear of universal monarchy': balance of power as an ordering practice of liberty. Liberal World Orders. (pp. 121-137) edited by Tim Dunne and Trine Flockhart. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.5871/bacad/9780197265529.003.0007

  • Devetak, Richard (2013). Critical theory. Theories of international relations. (pp. 162-186) New York, NY, United States: Palgrave Macmillan.

  • Devetak, Richard and Gout, Juliette (2013). Obligations beyond the state: Andrew Linklater's 'Men and Citizens in the Theory of International Relations'. Classics of international relations: essays in criticism and appreciation. (pp. 177-186) edited by Henrik Bliddal, Casper Sylvest and Peter Wilson. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203761472

  • Devetak, Richard (2013). Post-structuralism. Theories of international relations. (pp. 187-216) New York, NY, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-1-137-31136-8_8

  • Devetak, Richard (2012). An introduction to international relations: The origins and changing agendas of a discipline. An introduction to international relations. (pp. 1-19) edited by Richard Devetak, Anthony Burke and Jim George. Port Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

  • Devetak, Richard, George, Jim and Weber, Martin (2012). Marxism and critical theory. An Introduction to International Relations. (pp. 62-75) edited by Richard Devetak, Anthony Burke and Jim George. Port Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

  • Devetak, Richard (2012). The modern state. An introduction to international relations. (pp. 134-147) edited by Richard Devetak, Anthony Burke and Jim George. Port Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

  • Devetak, Richard (2012). Vico contra Kant: the competing critical theories of Cox and Linklater. Critical theory in international relations and security studies : Interviews and reflections. (pp. 115-126) edited by Shannon Brincat, Laura Lima and Joao Nunes. New York, NY, United States: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203145494

  • Devetak, Richard and Higgott, Richard (2009). International Relations Theory. The Australian Study of Politics. (pp. 268-281) edited by Rhodes, R. A. W.. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-0-230-29684-8

  • Davies, Sara Ellen and Devetak, Richard (2008). Conclusion. Security and the war on terror. (pp. 190-198) edited by Alex J. Bellamy, Roland Bleiker, Sara E. Davies and Richard Devetak. London, England: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203028094

  • Devetak, Richard (2008). Failures, rogues and terrorists: states of exception and the North/South divide. Security and the war on terror. (pp. 125-141) edited by Alex J. Bellamy, Roland Bleiker, Sara E. Davies and Richard Devetak. London, England: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203028094

  • Devetak, Richard (2008). Globalization's shadow: An introduction to the globalization of political violence. The globalization of political violence : Globalization's shadow. (pp. 1-26) edited by Richard Devetak and Christopher W Hughes. London & New York: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203935699

  • Devetak, Richard (2007). An introduction to international relations: The origins and changing agendas of a discipline. An introduction to international relations: Australian perspectives. (pp. 1-16) edited by Richard Devetak, Anthony Burke and Jim George. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

  • Devetak, Richard (2007). Between Kant and Pufendorf: Humanitarian intervention, statist anti-cosmopolitanism and critical international theory. Critical International Relations Theory After 25 Years. (pp. 151-174) edited by Rengger, Nicholas John and Thirkell-White, Tristram Benedict. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511607912.009

  • Devetak, Richard and Hughes, Christopher (2007). Preface. The Globalization of Political Violence: Globalization's Shadow. (pp. xiii-xv) edited by Richard Devetak and Christopher W. Hughes. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203935699

  • Devetak, Richard (2007). The modern state and its origins. Introduction to international relations: Australian perspectives. (pp. 121-132) edited by Richard Devetak, Anthony Burke and Jim George. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9781139168557.012

  • Devetak, Richard (2007). The project of modernity and international relations theory. Critical theory and international relations: A reader. (pp. 378-390) edited by Steven C. Roach. New York, U.S.: Routledge.

  • Devetak, Richard (2006). Failed States, Rogue States and the Sources of Terrorism: How the North Views the South. Ethics of War in a Time of Terror. (pp. 99-118) edited by Christian Enemark. Canberra: Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, ANU.

  • Devetak, Richard (2005). Foundationalism/Antifoundationalism. Encyclopedia of international relations and global politics. (pp. 286-289) edited by Martin Griffiths. London: Routledge.

  • Devetak, Richard and Dunne, Tim (2005). Order. Encyclopedia of international relations and global politics. (pp. 613-622) edited by Martin Griffiths. London: Routledge.

  • Devetak, Richard (2005). Postmodernism. Theories of international relations. (pp. 161-187) edited by Scott Burchill. New York, NY, United States: Palgrave.

  • Devetak, Richard and Higgott, Richard (2005). Saving the social bond and recovering the public domain. The Market or the Public Domain?: Global Governance and the Asymmetry of Power. (pp. 360-380) Taylor and Francis. doi: 10.4324/9780203996706-25

  • Devetak, Richard (2005). Violence, order and terror. International Society and Its Critics. (pp. 229-246) edited by Alex J. Bellamy. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/0199265208.003.0014

  • Devetak, Richard (2003). Loyalty and Plurality: Images of the Nation in Australia. Political loyalty and the nation-state. (pp. 27-42) edited by Michael Waller and Andrew Linklater. London, England: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203426944

  • Devetak, Richard (2002). Signs of a new enlightenment? Community and humanity after the Cold War. The new agenda for international relations: From polarization to globalization in world politics?. (pp. 164-183) edited by Stephanie Lawson. Malden, MA: Polity Press.

Journal Article

Other Outputs

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision