Conversations with History: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley

See the Conversations with History Blog See a webcast of this interview: Haas See a partial list of books by Ernst B. Haas

This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History. I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Ernst B. Haas, who is the Robson Research Professor of Government at UC Berkeley [Department of Political Science], where he has taught for 49 years. He is the author of numerous books, including most recently Nationalism, Liberalism, and Progress, When Knowledge is Power, and, in an earlier period, Beyond the Nation State, and The Uniting of Europe.

1. Background ... influence of parents ... growing up in Nazi Germany ... emigration to America ... service in the military ... education ... coming to Berkeley
2. Being a Social Scientist ... comparing social science to science ... what is political science ... choosing international relations ... prerequisites for being a social scientist ... building a student/professor network
3. Theories and Ideas ... integration theory ... learning in international relations ... epistemic communities and science in politics ... influence of Max Weber ... impact of ideas on organizations ... example of environmental policy
4. Nationalism and Beyond ... becoming a nation state ... consequences of national beliefs ... multilateralism ... the case of human rights
5. Lessons Learned ... theory versus action: scientific thinking ... moving beyond the nation state

© Copyright 2000, Regents of the University of California

Photos by Jane Scherr. Site questions: Email iis_webmgr at berkeley.edu.