Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Paul Robinson: Russia's World Order
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Nov 18, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Paul Robinson, a public affairs professor at the University of Ottawa and author of 'Russia's World Order', dives into the complexities of Russian civilizationism. He explores how Russia's resistance to Western universalism stems from historical disillusionment and highlights the ongoing ideological battle between conservatism and modernity. Robinson also sheds light on Russia's anti-colonial rhetoric, its aspirations for multipolarity, and the nuances of its identity in global geopolitics, especially in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
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Civilizationism Frames Multipolar Justification
- Civilizationism rejects a single linear path of history and claims multiple civilizational trajectories can coexist.
- Russia uses this idea to legitimize rejecting Western hegemony and pursuing a multipolar order.
Radical Universalism Breeds Backlash
- Radical universalism demands others follow a single path and can justify coercive change.
- Russians became disenchanted with both communist and 1990s liberal radical universalisms, driving search for alternatives.
19th-Century Roots Of Modern Debate
- The Westernizer vs Slavophile debate evolved into claims that Russia follows a distinct civilizational path.
- Modern thinkers shifted from believing in universal progress to asserting irreducible civilizational plurality.
