#12 Richard Samuels: What It Takes to Be a Brave Scholar

For a special episode in the wake of the US presidential
elections, we spoke with Richard Samuels, Professor of Political
Science, Director of the Center for International Studies at
MIT and Japanologist, about American national identity and
the current role of the United States on the geopolitical stage.
In a gripping conversation, the former Einstein Visiting
Fellow points out the crucial role of local government in
the era of fragile democracies, and shares his understanding
of political science as a way of explaining rather than
predicting political developments. Find out why, according to
Samuels, anarchy in international affairs is endlessly
fascinating, and what he thinks it takes to be a ”brave scholar”.