Toynbee on trial: sul rapporto tra storia e relazioni internazionali

The history of international thought has been one of the most significant developments within International Relations (IR) during the past twenty years. Scholars have transformed the canonical understanding of the discipline, presenting a much more accurate account of its origins, consolidation and evolution. This essay focuses on a controversial author as Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975). Indeed, he was an heterodox historian who has also offered innovative but eccentric interpretations in the field of IR. This essay examines the tangled up relationship between history and international relations in Toynbee’s works in order to underline his limits and describe his legacy.