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Power Problems • May 28, 2024 

# Classical Realism, Purpose, and the Rise of China 

Jonathan Kirshner, professor of political science and international studies at Boston College, discusses his most recent book, *An Unwritten Future: Realism and Uncertainty in World Politics*. Kirshner provides fundamental critiques of structural realism and offensive realism and argues for classical realism’s greater explanatory power and firmer theoretical underpinnings. He also covers rationalist explanations for war, the role of change and uncertainty in world politics, the rise of China, and why effective grand strategy requires a healthy politics, among other topics.

**Show Notes**

- Jonathan Kirshner, *An Unwritten Future: Realism and Uncertainty in World Politics*, Princeton University Press, 2022.

[![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) 
This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). 

##### Featuring 

##### Jonathan Kirshner 

Professor of Political Science and International Studies, Boston College

![John Glaser](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/John%20Glaser.jpg?itok=-uvxR8zG) 

##### John Glaser 

Host, Power Problems Podcast

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](https://twitter.com/jwcglaser)