This paper is aimed at identifying key stages in the development of the so-called ‘linguistic-political realism’ in the theory of international relations (IR). It is trough language that the paradox of the impossibility of comprehending the objective social world without the aid of its subjective description is lifted. From the viewpoint of linguistics, human language as the basic sign system has numerous functions, the most important of which are the cognitive and the communicative functions. The cognitive function consists in that linguistic signs enable humans to think, i.e., the nature of our consciousness is tied to signs. It is therefore due to this function that the whole real world (both physical and social) around us is accessible for us only through language. The communicative function of language enables any interaction between individuals, and thus creates all social forms (society, state, nation etc.). ‘Linguistic-political realism’ is understood as a strand of social philosophical enquiry (irrespective of authors’ ontological position) which specifically distinguishes an ‘objective’ role of the language factor in both the development of an individual society and the interaction of societies speaking different languages. Consideration is given to elements of linguistic-political realism in various social philosophical approaches from antiquity to Marxism, which was the last integral philosophical system and predated the emergence of sociology and International Relations theory as separate academic disciplines.