Essential concepts must be contested

In this forthcoming chapter for the newest Handbook of International Relations, edited by Cameron Thies, and to appear with Edwards Elgar Publ., Felix Berenskötter and Stefano Guzzini provide a methodology for how to use concept analysis for theoretical and political critique. 

'Contested essential concepts' discusses the nature of concepts and of different forms of theoretical contestation, namely 

(1) contesting often tacit assumptions in political and normative theorizations, 
(2) contextualizing (and 'provincializing') the formulation of ideal-types in empirical theorizations, and 
(3) problematizing the use of concepts in political practice. 

The paper concludes by showing that meaningful contestation requires a capacity of translation.