The Once and Future World Order Book Review
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Book Title: The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West
Author: Amitav acharya
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication Year: 2025
Core Argument: The book challenges Eurocentric views of international relations and proposes a multi-centered world order based on contributions from both western and Non-western civilizations over 5,000 years of history.
Civilizations Included:
Western: Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, ancient Greece
Non-Western: Egypt, India, China, Persia, Islamic World, Incas, Aztecs, African peoples
Key Themes:
1. Critique of Eurocentric/racist/colonialist foundations of the current world order.
2. Expansion of the concept of world order beyond a Western focus.
3.Emphasis on cross-cultural linkages and shared humanistic values.
Critiques of Existing Theories:
John Fairbank’s Chinese World Order
John Ikenberry‘s US-centric liberal world order
Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations thesis
Thucydides Trap (specifically its request to US-China relations)
Westphalian system (1648) as the origin of the modern international order - Acharya argues against this as a singular “Big Bang” moment.
Target Audience: Students of social and political science, particularly International Relations (IR).* IR Discipline Critique: Current IR textbooks and pedagogy are heavily influenced by Western philosophical and cultural traits.