Conclusion

Abstract

Although the role of metaphors in international relations theory (or any theoretical project, for that matter) is not always readily obvious, metaphors are among the primary elements in narrative explanations for international relations. To see this we can take the example of John Hobson’s (1902) famous metaphorical characterization of the “economic taproots of imperialism.” As anyone who has weeded a garden knows, to completely eliminate a pesky weed one needs to pull it out by the roots. Hobson means to imply by way of the “taproot” metaphor that capitalism (the metaphorical taproot of imperialism) has to be completely eradicated if imperialism is to end. When one thinks of the roots of a plant or tree the image that comes to mind is one in which the vegetation that emerges from those roots is intimately related to those roots. The type of roots (i.e., what species of plant is genetically encoded in those roots) will determine the species of plant that will emerge above ground. The roots of a tomato plant can no more give rise to an elm tree than the roots of an elm tree can lead a tomato plant to emerge. When Hobson says that capitalism is the taproot of imperialism, he is offering a narrative explanation of an aspect of international relations in which metaphors play a central role.