New Books in Political Science Amitav Acharya, "The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West" (Hachette UK, 2025)
Jan 12, 2026
Amitav Acharya, a distinguished professor in international relations and UNESCO Chair, delves into 5,000 years of global history to challenge Eurocentric views. He argues that world order existed long before the West and discusses how non-Western civilizations have influenced cooperation and peace. Acharya critiques the dominance of Western narratives in international relations, emphasizing the role of cross-civilizational ideas. He advocates for learning from history to forge a more equitable future, framing the decline of the West as an opportunity, not a crisis.
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IR's Western Origin Limits Its View
- International relations is overly West-centric because its concepts and theories grew from European history.
- Amitav Acharya argues non-Western civilizations contributed crucial ideas to world order across 5,000 years.
A Global Narrative Replaces Eurocentrism
- Major textbooks and bestsellers canonize a Eurocentric world-order narrative centered on Westphalia and the West.
- Acharya presents a global, cross-civilizational narrative showing shared inventions and diffusion of order ideas.
Greco-Roman Origins Are Mythic
- The Greco-Roman origin story is mythologized; Greeks borrowed heavily from Persia and Mesopotamia.
- Acharya recommends 'Greco-Persia' as a more accurate frame for classical Mediterranean intellectual exchange.
