Confessions of a Premature Constructivist

This chapter explores Freedman’s self-reflective characterization as a ‘premature constructivist’ and notes that Peter Katzenstein once called him a ‘realist constructivist.’ It explores the sociology of knowledge, the importance of intellectual leadership and language, and, most importantly, argues that understanding how knowledge is socially constructed need not lead to a loss of confidence in its validity. This concluding point in the confession of a premature constructivist is the starting point for strategists, scriptural scholars and constructivist realists – all versions of the same intellectual approach described and espoused by Freedman, and all appropriate to students of war and peace.