Globalization has not only changed modern international relations, but also introduced significant adjustments to their theoretical understanding. Positivist theories, which reign supreme in the interpretation of international relations throughout the 20th century, are being replaced by post-positivism more and more confidently in the new century. Post-positivist theories began with constructivism, which is an intermediate theory and borrows features from both of these directions. The article describes the emergence and development of constructivism and formulates its main provisions. The views of the main representatives of constructivism – N. Onuf, F. Kratochvil and A. Wendt – were reflected. Key concepts of international relations are examined, such as identity, national interests and international security in the context of constructivism.
Keywords: Social construction of reality, symbolic interactionism, identity, speech act theory, interactive knowledge, identity, securitization.