'Uncertainty and Its Discontents: Worldviews in World Politics is the best book on worldviews since Max Weber's Economy and Society. In it, Katzenstein and collaborators explore the argument that the reason why IR scholars have so much difficulty integrating uncertainty into their scientific theories is their adherence to a mechanistic Newtonian scientific worldview, which natural scientists moved away from during the last century and instead adopted a post-Newtonian quantum/relationist scientific worldview. Although Katzenstein finally settled for a middle ground between both worldviews, and not all his collaborators agree that IR should make a sweeping turn in scientific worldviews, one day, perhaps soon, the book may be recognized as having played a role in starting a shift in how IR scholars do science. It should be read, therefore, not only by sympathizers to Katzenstein's views but particularly by scholars who still live in a mechanistic and predictable world of risk.' Emanuel Adler, University of Toronto
Preface; 1. Worldviews in world politics Peter J. Katzenstein; Part I. Substantialism and Relationalism: 2. Political worldviews in international relations: the importance of ideologies and foreign policy traditions Mark L. Haas and Henry R. Nau; 3. Relationality, post-Newtonian international relations, and worldviews Milja Kurki; 4. The president as mascot: relations all the way down Jairus Victor Grove; 5. Jewish questions and Jewish worldviews Michael Barnett; Part II. Accountable Agents and Epistemic Engines: 6. Weberian and relationalist worldviews: what is at stake? Henry R. Nau; 7. Oceans, jungles, and gardens: world politics and the planet Prasenjit Duara; Part III. Science and Religion: 8. Scientific worldviews in world politics: rationalization and the cosmological inheritance of the social sciences Bentley B. Allan; 9. Religious worldviews in global politics Timothy A. Byrnes; Part IV. Conclusion: 10. Of gardens, forests, and parks Peter J. Katzenstein; Index.