ABSTRACT
This introduction provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book traces the origins of a strictly enforced border between human and non-human animals back to Greek philosophy. It provides an overview of the posthuman landscape and provides an assessment of how posthuman approaches have been taken up within International Relations (IR). The book suggests that recent philosophical work in quantum physics provides the basis for a posthuman perspective, which IR scholars are well placed to pursue. It argues that the question of agency has been one that runs through posthuman/non-materialist writings. The book assesses the possibility of developing a posthuman IR that is better equipped to confront the ecological crises that we face. It argues for the need to re-think humans' relationships with worms. The book exposes the almost total failure of IR to acknowledge the role of non-human actors in conflict situations.
