Returning to Hedley Bull: Necessity as an approach for defining primary institutions

Abstract

This article critiques and builds upon existing notions of primary institutions within the English School, arguing for a return to Bullian notions of “necessity”—namely the minimum institutional requirements for international order—when defining the primary institutions of international society. By using notions of necessity this work seeks to develop a functional typology for primary institutions that is capable of accommodating variation and change across different historical and regional contexts. It also seeks to provide a similar functional framework for an English School understanding of domestic society and the state. This development of English School thinking aims to highlight the interrelated nature of domestic and international norms and practices, as well as highlighting the role of domestic norms in shaping the outlook of international relations practitioners.