steve on Nostr: “An Unwritten Future” by Jonathan Kirshner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jonathan ...
“An Unwritten Future” by Jonathan Kirshner
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Jonathan Kirshner is a political science professor at Boston College with a personal interest in Keynesian economics. While I am less a fan of Keynesianism, Kirshner’s book aims to distinguish the IR school of classical realism from its more popular neo-realist and structural realist cousins. Less of an explanatory piece, Kirshner builds a nuanced view of realism that seeks to inform our views of the real world behavior of states rather than predict it. As a classical realist, he uses numerous case studies to show how history and culture inform national interests, which consequently drive behaviors. By nesting the idea of “bounded rationality” in to the otherwise overly-rigid sects of realism, Kirshner shows that classical realism is a useful tool for understanding why states do what they do in modern times. In addition to its historical accounts, this book pulls richly from classics like Thucydides and adds a layer of sardonic wit that makes it enjoyable—even funny, at times—to read. Kirshner’s writing is often heavy in IR jargon (like this review… sorry) but well worth the read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jonathan Kirshner is a political science professor at Boston College with a personal interest in Keynesian economics. While I am less a fan of Keynesianism, Kirshner’s book aims to distinguish the IR school of classical realism from its more popular neo-realist and structural realist cousins. Less of an explanatory piece, Kirshner builds a nuanced view of realism that seeks to inform our views of the real world behavior of states rather than predict it. As a classical realist, he uses numerous case studies to show how history and culture inform national interests, which consequently drive behaviors. By nesting the idea of “bounded rationality” in to the otherwise overly-rigid sects of realism, Kirshner shows that classical realism is a useful tool for understanding why states do what they do in modern times. In addition to its historical accounts, this book pulls richly from classics like Thucydides and adds a layer of sardonic wit that makes it enjoyable—even funny, at times—to read. Kirshner’s writing is often heavy in IR jargon (like this review… sorry) but well worth the read.