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About Stephen Chan (ex-pat Kiwi)

Stephen Chan is Professor of International Relations and was the foundation Dean of Law and Social Sciences in the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He began life as the son of Chinese refugees in New Zealand, studied classics, came to the UK and then spent several years in Africa as an international civil servant. He has held visiting positions in many universities and has lectured on five continents. In his academic writings, he attempts to find the fusion he believes has been important in his life. His previous books include: The Zen of International Relations; Robert Mugabe: A Life of Power and Violence; Out of Evil and Grasping Africa.


Description of The End of Certainty

"The End of Certainty" is a magical realist book on world politics. Stephen Chan takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through how we can establish a new kind of international relations and construct a common future for the planet. The book's main argument is that international politics has failed because the certainties of singular traditions of philosophy fail to help us in understanding power shifts and struggles in an endlessly diverse world. Chan argues that fusing different strands of Western, Eastern, religious and philosophical thought, is far more likely to help us understand and move forward amidst uncertainty. In doing so, he takes us on a journey from the battlefields of Eritrea to the Twin Towers, via the Book of Job, Clausewitz, Fanon and Wahabism. You'll never think about politics in quite the same way again.

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