Prof. Chris Brown - "The Poverty of Grand Theory"

The David Davies Memorial Institute was pleased to welcome Professor Chris Brown of LSE to the Department of International Politics. Professor Brown, an IR theorist of international repute, presented a new paper in the Main Hall of the International Politics Building on Friday 23 March. 

His talk, entitled "The Poverty of Grand Theory", argued that there has been great progress in Liberal and Realist theory over the last decade, but that the critical / late modern advances we were promised in the 1980s have not materialised; this is largely because of the neglect of 'critical problem-solving.' The presentation was followed by a vigorous Q & A.  

Members of staff and students at all levels were warmly invited to attend this special event. It was a challenging overview of the state of the IR discipline.

 

Short bio of Prof. Brown:

Chris Brown is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics. He writes on international political theory, human rights, and issues of global justice. He is the author most recently of Practical Judgement in International Political Theory (2010). Other major publications include: Understanding International Relations (1997; 4th edition, 2009), Sovereignty, Rights and Justice (2002), as coeditor, with Terry Nardin and N. J. Rengger, International Relations in Political Thought: Texts from the Greeks to the First World War (2002), as editor, Political Restructuring in Europe: Ethical Perspectives (1994), and International Relations Theory: New Normative Approaches (1992). He has published numerous journal articles.