^aRóka utca 1, Budapest, 1016, Hungary. E-mail: sarvaryk@freemail.hu

Abstract

Examinations of the incidence of paradigm change in international relations have been limited to the level of observation in IR. The present paper proposes the extension of the analysis of paradigm change to the areas of international law and diplomacy in order to cover all areas of diplomatic practice. The advantages are twofold. Beyond advancing our understanding of the role of language, the focus on paradigmatic changes leads to new insights about persuasion in international relations. The article argues that persuasion can take place even in cases where actors are aware that the conditions for argumentation/communicative action are violated. It further argues that in these cases persuasion is not the consequence of a change of beliefs but of the disclosure of certain facts that escaped the attention of the audience. The paper invites future research on persuasion in crises, that is, those of concern to traditional diplomacy. This would direct attention to the more complex nature of diplomacy than has so far been identified by participants in the current debate on persuasion.