New Books Network Amitav Acharya, "The Once and Future World Order: Why Global Civilization Will Survive the Decline of the West" (Hachette UK, 2025)
Jan 10, 2026
Amitav Acharya, a distinguished professor at American University and author of "The Once and Future World Order," dives into the historical perspectives on global order. He challenges Eurocentrism, arguing that world order predates the West and has roots in diverse civilizations like Persia and Mesoamerica. Acharya discusses the implications of the West's decline, presenting the opportunity for a more equitable future driven by non-Western voices. He also examines the Indian Ocean's ancient trade systems as models for modern, pluralistic governance.
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Global IR Needs Broader Histories
- International relations is historically Western-centric because the field grew out of Western scholarship and textbooks.
- Amitav Acharya argues we must broaden the narrative to include non-Western civilizations' contributions to world order.
World Order Is A Shared Invention
- Many canonical accounts credit Greece and Rome as the primary sources of modern world order, excluding earlier non‑Western contributions.
- Acharya presents a 5,000‑year global narrative showing shared invention and diffusion of order across civilizations.
Greco‑Roman Origin Story Is Constructed
- The conventional Greco‑Roman origin story is partly a constructed Western myth used to claim lineage.
- Acharya highlights strong Greek interactions with Persia and Mesopotamia, challenging the Greco‑Roman centric view.
