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Clash of Worldviews: Understanding the 21st Century International Order Through Ideas
To grasp world politics, look beyond power and economics—to the battle of ideas.
What truly drives the course of history—power, economics, or something even deeper? In Clash of Worldviews, Haneul Jung reveals the ideological struggle that lies beneath every geopolitical shift—struggles that define not just the actions of nations but the rationale behind them.
From the rise and fall of empires to the birth of the modern international order, worldviews have served as the cornerstone of human civilization. Today, as the liberal world order frays and competing visions for global governance emerge, understanding these foundational ideas has never been more crucial.
This book delivers a comprehensive examination of the ideological forces that have shaped history’s pivotal transformations, from classical liberalism to 21st-century nationalism, from realist power dynamics to utopian globalism, and from postmodern progressivism to post-liberalism. As the post-Cold War era gives way to new visions competing for dominance, Clash of Worldviews offers a practical lens for understanding the ideological currents shaping the 21st century—revealing that every transformation is, at its core, a contest of worldviews.
[Table of Contents]
INTRODUCTION
ABBREVIATIONS
CHAPTER 1 Welcome to Our Changing Why the World Order is Shifting and Why It Matters
CHAPTER 2 Decoding Global How International Relations Work
CHAPTER 3 The Ends Justify the Means? Realpolitik’s Clash with Legitimacy Through History
CHAPTER 4 The Age of How the European Enlightenment Shaped Modern Civilization
CHAPTER 5 Kant’s Perpetual The Foundation of the Liberal Worldview
CHAPTER 6 The European Balance of The 19th Century Geopolitics Behind the World War I
CHAPTER 7 American Exceptionalism and Liberal Internationalism
§1 The Story behind Global Leadership
§2 America’s First Major Role in Global Governance
CHAPTER 8 World War Ideological Conflicts and the Birth of the Cold War
CHAPTER 9 The Dynamics of the Cold War
§1 Strategy, Ideology, and Superpower Rivalry
§2 The Dawn of True Multilateralism
CHAPTER 10 Pax Unpacking the U.S.-Led Liberal International Order
CHAPTER 11 Rise of Regional China and Russia’s Revisionist Quest for Hegemony
CHAPTER 12 The End of the Unipolar The Dawn of a New Era
CHAPTER 13 A World Without Hegemon
§1 United From Hegemon to the Most Powerful
§2 Russia & Rivals and Partners
§3 Confused Liberal Amidst Lost Leadership
§4 The Global A Renewed Geopolitical Middle Ground
CHAPTER 14 Multipolarity vs. Why Global Challenges Demand Multilateralism
CHAPTER 15 Liberal Democracy’s Existential Crisis
§1 The Expansion and Fragmentation of Liberal Ideologies
§2 The Perils of How Extremism Threatens Liberal Democracy
§3 Possible Rise of the Political Center
§4 The Future of Liberal Democracy and the Fate of th
What truly drives the course of history—power, economics, or something even deeper? In Clash of Worldviews, Haneul Jung reveals the ideological struggle that lies beneath every geopolitical shift—struggles that define not just the actions of nations but the rationale behind them.
From the rise and fall of empires to the birth of the modern international order, worldviews have served as the cornerstone of human civilization. Today, as the liberal world order frays and competing visions for global governance emerge, understanding these foundational ideas has never been more crucial.
This book delivers a comprehensive examination of the ideological forces that have shaped history’s pivotal transformations, from classical liberalism to 21st-century nationalism, from realist power dynamics to utopian globalism, and from postmodern progressivism to post-liberalism. As the post-Cold War era gives way to new visions competing for dominance, Clash of Worldviews offers a practical lens for understanding the ideological currents shaping the 21st century—revealing that every transformation is, at its core, a contest of worldviews.
[Table of Contents]
INTRODUCTION
ABBREVIATIONS
CHAPTER 1 Welcome to Our Changing Why the World Order is Shifting and Why It Matters
CHAPTER 2 Decoding Global How International Relations Work
CHAPTER 3 The Ends Justify the Means? Realpolitik’s Clash with Legitimacy Through History
CHAPTER 4 The Age of How the European Enlightenment Shaped Modern Civilization
CHAPTER 5 Kant’s Perpetual The Foundation of the Liberal Worldview
CHAPTER 6 The European Balance of The 19th Century Geopolitics Behind the World War I
CHAPTER 7 American Exceptionalism and Liberal Internationalism
§1 The Story behind Global Leadership
§2 America’s First Major Role in Global Governance
CHAPTER 8 World War Ideological Conflicts and the Birth of the Cold War
CHAPTER 9 The Dynamics of the Cold War
§1 Strategy, Ideology, and Superpower Rivalry
§2 The Dawn of True Multilateralism
CHAPTER 10 Pax Unpacking the U.S.-Led Liberal International Order
CHAPTER 11 Rise of Regional China and Russia’s Revisionist Quest for Hegemony
CHAPTER 12 The End of the Unipolar The Dawn of a New Era
CHAPTER 13 A World Without Hegemon
§1 United From Hegemon to the Most Powerful
§2 Russia & Rivals and Partners
§3 Confused Liberal Amidst Lost Leadership
§4 The Global A Renewed Geopolitical Middle Ground
CHAPTER 14 Multipolarity vs. Why Global Challenges Demand Multilateralism
CHAPTER 15 Liberal Democracy’s Existential Crisis
§1 The Expansion and Fragmentation of Liberal Ideologies
§2 The Perils of How Extremism Threatens Liberal Democracy
§3 Possible Rise of the Political Center
§4 The Future of Liberal Democracy and the Fate of th
368 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2025
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