World order: Rethinking the past and reimagining the future

In this book talk, Prof Amitav Acharya, distinguished Professor of International Affairs at American University (Washington DC), discusses his new work, The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West (Basic Books, 2024). 

Surveying 5,000 years of global history, the book challenges Western-centric assumptions about world order and offers an ambitious rethinking of global governance, the book asks what are the consequences of President Trump’s policies for world order, and is the decline of the West the end of global stability, or the beginning of a more inclusive world?

Acharya argues that world order long predated Western dominance and can thrive beyond it. From ancient Sumer, India, and Mesoamerica to the Islamic Caliphates and Chinese empires, he shows how principles of cooperation, humanitarianism, and interdependence emerged across civilisations. Rather than descending into chaos, the world may be on the cusp of a more equitable and representative international system.

Key themes include:

• Why the decline of the West is not the end of world order
• Historical patterns of global governance beyond the West
• The role of non-Western actors in shaping the international system
• Opportunities for building a more inclusive, multiplex global future

This talk offers a timely reflection on dominant narratives about world order, power transitions, and global cooperation, and the role of United States in international politics. 

About the speakers

Following the lecture, Professor Acharya will engage in a conversation on the book’s themes with a panel of experts:

• Prof Fiona B. Adamson,
• Prof Dan Plesch,
• Dr Alireza Shams Lahijani

The discussion will conclude with questions from the audience.

Organisers

This event is organised by the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.