Craig Murphy – The Long Arc of Global Governance

Global Governance Futures: Imperfect Utopias or Bust

In this episode, we welcome one of the most influential voices in international relations, Professor Craig Murphy. A pioneer in global governance scholarship, Craig has been at the forefront of research on international organizations, industrial change, and the historical evolution of global political structures. His work bridges critical theory, historical materialism, and the study of transnational social movements, offering a sweeping perspective on the forces that have shaped our world. In recognition of his significant contribution to the field, Craig has received the Distinguished Senior Scholar Award in International Political Economy (2013) and International Organization (2024) from the International Studies Associations. In this conversation, we trace Craig’s trajectory through the intellectual landscape of the 1970s, where emerging ideas on world-systems theory, quantitative peace research, and environmental limits reshaped the study of international politics. With trademark humour, he reflects on the influence of Robert Cox and historical materialism, the critical need to challenge “relentless presentism” in global governance research, and the dual role of international institutions – as both market-builders for industrial capitalism and platforms for political resistance. We close by reflecting on a world grappling with existential threats and Craig’s salutary reminder that the task ahead is not just to critique existing governance but to fundamentally rethink and remake it. Craig Murphy is the Betty Freyhof Johnson ’44 Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Wellesley College. A leading scholar of global governance, he has served as President of the International Studies Association (2000-2001) and co-editor of the journal Global Governance. Craig Murphy’s Wellesley profile can be found here: https://www1.wellesley.edu/politicalscience/faculty/murphy We discussed: • ‘Every Just Peace is Something New: Translating a Difficult Finding from the Social Sciences to the Humanities and Back’, unpublished manuscript. • International Organization and Industrial Change: Global Governance since 1850 (Oxford, 1994). • ‘Global Governance Over the Long Haul’, International Studies Quarterly (2014). • ‘Global governance: poorly done and poorly understood’, International Affairs (2000).