Michael Desch, “Cult of the Irrelevant: The Waning Influence of Social Science on National Security (Princeton UP, 2019)

from Princeton UP Ideas Podcast · host New Books Network

To mobilize America’s intellectual resources to meet the security challenges of the post–9/11 world, US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates observed that “we must again embrace eggheads and ideas.” But the gap between national security policymakers and international relations scholars has become a chasm. In Cult of the Irrelevant:...

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 5, 2019

Embed this episode

Attribution link and audio player

NOW PLAYING

Michael Desch, “Cult of the Irrelevant: The Waning Influence of Social Science on National Security (Princeton UP, 2019)

0:00 47:11

1×

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Season finale: Leading security in a brave new world.

Dec 30, 2025 ·43m

Similar Podcasts

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Princeton UP Ideas Podcast?

This episode is 47 minutes long.

When was this Princeton UP Ideas Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on April 5, 2019.

Can I download this Princeton UP Ideas Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.

URL copied to clipboard!