World Order: Reflections on the Character of Nations and the Course of History
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World Order: Reflections on the Character of Nations and the Course of History
Its kind of telling that Kissinger's last book was On China. Like other authors before him he turns towards thinking about a new world order after having studied China in depth. The breadth of his musings is nevertheless - in particular for IR buffs - unmatched. Must read.
Read this book in January 2015 and wrote a substantial review then, which I also converted into a presentation. Still think that Kissinger's book is the ultimate source to understand our current political system; nevertheless, I don't agree with his conclusions. He is, with all due respect, a fossil speaking from a political past, to a changing present, with which not only him, but many others can't deal properly.
Original review was published here with a summary of the book. Download pptx file for full review or read below abstract.
- Credit & Critique
o Critique that no effort is made to talk about other concepts of international order, which do not have the nation state as its smallest unit in the center of perspective, but e.g. a district [compare to Leopold Kohr’s “The Breakdown of Nations and the documentary “The Economics of Happiness” > the origins of all misery are to be found in excess of size]
o Critique of the author for shedding a all too positive light onto American foreign policy and portraying at times a neo-crusader-like picture of American values converting the barbarian world – Kissinger does not spend even one thought to the lost respect in regard to American values in Europe or China. A nation that shows a wrecked health system, poor and antiquated infrastructure as its main achievements lost credibility. A successful interior policy comes first. A successful foreign policy second.
o Critique of the author for not having understood to what extent the Chinese government already wields control of the internet; the cyberspace will is a model for the Chinese government on how to deal with the international community in the real world: authoritarian, non-inclusive decision making will be the norm
o Critique of the author (but also understanding) of not openly discussing the threats of China’s rise and not making clear analogies in Western appeasement politics with the current situation [compare Micheal Ledeen article]
o Credits to the author for categorizing international order and writing about international order in a historical context which reveals some insights that have not been obvious to the general audience
o Credits to the author for explaining the original doctrine and fundamentalist currents of Islam: Islam was at once a religion, a multiethnic superstate, and a new world order. The areas Islam had conquered or where it held sway over tribute-paying non-Muslims were conceived as a single political unit: dar al-Islam, the “House of Islam,” or the realm of peace. It would be governed by the caliphate, an institution defined by rightful succession to the earthly political authority that the Prophet had exercised. The lands beyond were dar al-harb, the realm of war; Islam’s mission was to incorporate these regions into its own world order and thereby bring universal peace:
o Credits to the author for explaining that Central Europe stayed divided for hundreds of years because of French foreign policy
o Credits to the author for explaining Russia and thus making some conclusions possible in regard to China – since I did not understand Russia very much, I always felt that there was a missing link in understanding China. I had a few “AHA” experiences when reading about Russian history, because China just carbon copied much of Russian policies, which Russia in turns adapted from European countries.
o Credits to the author for dissecting the risks and chances of new technologies, in particular the requirement to adapt our educational institutions to enable people to deal with daily floods of information without being drowned into an abyss – empty of knowledge and wisdom.
- Structured into 11 chapters
o Introduction: The Question of World Order
o Chapter 1: Europe – The Pluralistic International Order
o Chapter 2: The European Balance-of-Power System and Its End
o Chapter 3: Islamism and the Middle East: A World in Disorder
o Chapter 4: The United States and Iran: Approaches to Order
o Chapter 5: The Multiplicity of Asia
o Chapter 6: Toward an Asian Order: Confrontation or Partnership?
o Chapter 7: “Acting for All Mankind” – The US and Its Concept of Order
o Chapter 8: The US – Ambivalent Superpower
o Chapter 9: Technology, Equilibrium, and Human Consciousness
o Conclusion: World Order in Our Time?
－ The Evolution of International Order
－ Where do we go from here?
Its kind of telling that Kissinger's last book was On China. Like other authors before him he turns towards thinking about a new world order after having studied China in depth. The breadth of his musings is nevertheless - in particular for IR buffs - unmatched. Must read.
Read this book in January 2015 and wrote a substantial review then, which I also converted into a presentation. Still think that Kissinger's book is the ultimate source to understand our current political system; nevertheless, I don't agree with his conclusions. He is, with all due respect, a fossil speaking from a political past, to a changing present, with which not only him, but many others can't deal properly.
Original review was published here with a summary of the book. Download pptx file for full review or read below abstract.
- Credit & Critique
o Critique that no effort is made to talk about other concepts of international order, which do not have the nation state as its smallest unit in the center of perspective, but e.g. a district [compare to Leopold Kohr’s “The Breakdown of Nations and the documentary “The Economics of Happiness” > the origins of all misery are to be found in excess of size]
o Critique of the author for shedding a all too positive light onto American foreign policy and portraying at times a neo-crusader-like picture of American values converting the barbarian world – Kissinger does not spend even one thought to the lost respect in regard to American values in Europe or China. A nation that shows a wrecked health system, poor and antiquated infrastructure as its main achievements lost credibility. A successful interior policy comes first. A successful foreign policy second.
o Critique of the author for not having understood to what extent the Chinese government already wields control of the internet; the cyberspace will is a model for the Chinese government on how to deal with the international community in the real world: authoritarian, non-inclusive decision making will be the norm
o Critique of the author (but also understanding) of not openly discussing the threats of China’s rise and not making clear analogies in Western appeasement politics with the current situation [compare Micheal Ledeen article]
o Credits to the author for categorizing international order and writing about international order in a historical context which reveals some insights that have not been obvious to the general audience
o Credits to the author for explaining the original doctrine and fundamentalist currents of Islam: Islam was at once a religion, a multiethnic superstate, and a new world order. The areas Islam had conquered or where it held sway over tribute-paying non-Muslims were conceived as a single political unit: dar al-Islam, the “House of Islam,” or the realm of peace. It would be governed by the caliphate, an institution defined by rightful succession to the earthly political authority that the Prophet had exercised. The lands beyond were dar al-harb, the realm of war; Islam’s mission was to incorporate these regions into its own world order and thereby bring universal peace:
o Credits to the author for explaining that Central Europe stayed divided for hundreds of years because of French foreign policy
o Credits to the author for explaining Russia and thus making some conclusions possible in regard to China – since I did not understand Russia very much, I always felt that there was a missing link in understanding China. I had a few “AHA” experiences when reading about Russian history, because China just carbon copied much of Russian policies, which Russia in turns adapted from European countries.
o Credits to the author for dissecting the risks and chances of new technologies, in particular the requirement to adapt our educational institutions to enable people to deal with daily floods of information without being drowned into an abyss – empty of knowledge and wisdom.
- Structured into 11 chapters
o Introduction: The Question of World Order
o Chapter 1: Europe – The Pluralistic International Order
o Chapter 2: The European Balance-of-Power System and Its End
o Chapter 3: Islamism and the Middle East: A World in Disorder
o Chapter 4: The United States and Iran: Approaches to Order
o Chapter 5: The Multiplicity of Asia
o Chapter 6: Toward an Asian Order: Confrontation or Partnership?
o Chapter 7: “Acting for All Mankind” – The US and Its Concept of Order
o Chapter 8: The US – Ambivalent Superpower
o Chapter 9: Technology, Equilibrium, and Human Consciousness
o Conclusion: World Order in Our Time?
－ The Evolution of International Order
－ Where do we go from here?