Ernst Haas’s evolving thinking on comparative regional integration: of virtues and infelicities

Abstract:

Haas's work on Europe has been immensely influential, so much so that the study of European integration has long been synonymous with Haas and his intellectual legacy. His name, however, does not figure prominently in recent contributions to the rapidly growing field of comparative regional integration. In part, this is an oversight and thus unfortunate since several of his insights travel well and are quite relevant to present-day debates. However, it also is, in part, Haas's own fault. While his early work on European integration is of unmatched brilliance and depth, some of his later theorizing suffers from a series of methodological infelicities that have detracted from his fundamental contributions to comparative regional integration. This paper traces and critically assesses the evolution of Haas's thinking on integration with special focus on regions outside Europe.

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