Zombies as a Challenge to the Political Theories Reflection and the Teaching of Political Sciences Cover Image

Zombie jako wyzwanie dla refleksji teoriopolitycznej i dydaktyki nauk politycznych
Zombies as a Challenge to the Political Theories Reflection and the Teaching of Political Sciences

Author(s): Paweł Ścigaj
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie
Keywords: political theory; theories of international relations; threat metaphors; political metaphors; po-litical science teaching

Summary/Abstract: In recent years, zombies have made a stunning career, not only in literature and film, but also in scientific research. Zombies appear in scientific discourse as a reflection of fears connected with colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, consumerism, as well as metaphors for threats, like terrorism, asymmetric conflicts, epidemics and many more. It is also a useful concept for capturing ideas and theories remaining in scientific circulation which are in fact dead. So-called “zombie-categories” reflect theories that either explain nothing or the phenomena they refer to do not exist. Taking this into account, it is hard not to use zombies in political theory, especially as a useful category that enables the identification of “dead and alive” theories. Besides, zombie metaphors seem to be very promising in the political science teaching and a lot of research has already been undertaken in that field bringing unexpected and valuable results.

  • Issue Year: 325/2020
  • Issue No: 25
  • Page Range: 163-183
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Polish