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An Unwritten Future: Realism and Uncertainty in World Politics
An argument for the classical realist approach to world politics
An Unwritten Future offers a fresh reassessment of classical realism, an enduring approach to understanding crucial events in the international political arena. Jonathan Kirshner identifies the fundamental flaws of classical realism’s would-be successors and shows how this older, more nuanced and sophisticated method for studying world politics better explains the formative events of the past. Kirshner also reveals how this approach is ideally equipped to comprehend the vital questions of the present―such as the implications of China’s rise, the ways that social and economic change alter the balance of power and the nature of international conflict, and the consequences of the end of the US-led postwar order for the future of world politics.
Laying out realism’s core principles, Kirshner discusses the contributions of the perspective’s key thinkers, including Thucydides, Hans Morgenthau, and Raymond Aron, among others. He illustrates how a classical realist approach gives new insights into major upheavals of the twentieth century, such as Britain’s appeasement of Nazi Germany and America’s ruinous involvement in Vietnam. Kirshner also addresses realism’s limits and explores contemporary issues, including the ascent of great power challengers, the political implications of globalization, and the diffusion of power in modern world politics.
A reexamination of the realist tradition, with a renewed emphasis on the crucial roles played by uncertainty, contingency, and contestation, An Unwritten Future demonstrates how a once-popular school of thought provides invaluable insights into pressing real-world problems.
An Unwritten Future offers a fresh reassessment of classical realism, an enduring approach to understanding crucial events in the international political arena. Jonathan Kirshner identifies the fundamental flaws of classical realism’s would-be successors and shows how this older, more nuanced and sophisticated method for studying world politics better explains the formative events of the past. Kirshner also reveals how this approach is ideally equipped to comprehend the vital questions of the present―such as the implications of China’s rise, the ways that social and economic change alter the balance of power and the nature of international conflict, and the consequences of the end of the US-led postwar order for the future of world politics.
Laying out realism’s core principles, Kirshner discusses the contributions of the perspective’s key thinkers, including Thucydides, Hans Morgenthau, and Raymond Aron, among others. He illustrates how a classical realist approach gives new insights into major upheavals of the twentieth century, such as Britain’s appeasement of Nazi Germany and America’s ruinous involvement in Vietnam. Kirshner also addresses realism’s limits and explores contemporary issues, including the ascent of great power challengers, the political implications of globalization, and the diffusion of power in modern world politics.
A reexamination of the realist tradition, with a renewed emphasis on the crucial roles played by uncertainty, contingency, and contestation, An Unwritten Future demonstrates how a once-popular school of thought provides invaluable insights into pressing real-world problems.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published September 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 5, 2023
Jonathan Kirshner's reappraisal of "classical realism" is a significant scholarly contribution. The chapters on the intellectual history of classical realism and the chapter on classical realist political economy are worthy of going on an IR syllabus. What Kirshner does so well is critiquing the overly structural and hyper-rational models of political science, which have been in vogue for the last 30-40 years. Instead, he calls for bringing history and domestic politics back into the equation. He shows how political science has focused too much on becoming a "science" and has ignored the unique factors that shape countries and their relations. His triumph is in reminding the reader that the future is "unwritten" or unknown. This is good news because it means that great power wars are not the inescapable destiny of the U.S. and China. At the same time, we shouldn't just be naively optimistic about removing war. The security dilemma isn't going away any time soon and human nature insures that conflict can happen. But it often happens because of pride, fear, and hubris, rather than the gravity of power. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to students of realism. It made me more confident in the analytical usefulness of classical realist thought.
March 30, 2025
A lucid defense of classical Realism as the most suitable framework in IR studies. With its focus in historical cases such as interwar Japan and France, and most notably the Peloponnesian War, all of which balance the otherwise heavy emphasis on theory, it makes for a very alluring read. Besides, it is very refreshing to learn about the economic side of Realism, often neglected by IR students.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews