1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910457703203321

Autore

Sørensen Georg <1948->

Titolo

A liberal world order in crisis [[electronic resource] ] : choosing between imposition and restraint / / Georg Sørensen

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Ithaca, : Cornell University Press, 2011

ISBN

0-8014-6330-0

0-8014-6329-7

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (228 p.)

Classificazione

MK 4050

Disciplina

327.1

Soggetti

Liberalism

International relations

World politics - 1989-

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front matter -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction: The Argument -- 1. The Debate on World Order -- 2. Tensions in Liberalism: Universal Values for All or a Pluralist World? -- 3. Values and Liberal World Order -- 4. A Different Security Dilemma: Liberals Facing Weak and Failed States -- 5. Free Markets for All: The Difficulties of Maintaining a Stable Liberal World Economy -- 6. Institutions and Liberal World Order -- Conclusion: Prospects for Liberal World Order -- Abbreviations -- References -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

The collapse of the bipolar international system near the end of the twentieth century changed political liberalism from a regional system with aspirations of universality to global ideological dominance as the basic vision of how international life should be organized. Yet in the last two decades liberal democracies have not been able to create an effective and legitimate liberal world order. In A Liberal World Order in Crisis, Georg Sorensen suggests that this is connected to major tensions between two strains of liberalism: a "liberalism of imposition" affirms the universal validity of liberal values and is ready to use any means to secure the worldwide expansion of liberal principles. A "liberalism of restraint" emphasizes nonintervention, moderation, and



respect for others. This book is the first comprehensive discussion of how tensions in liberalism create problems for the establishment of a liberal world order. The book is also the first skeptical liberal statement to appear since the era of liberal optimism-based in anticipation of the end of history-in the 1990's. Sorensen identifies major competing analyses of world order and explains why their focus on balance-of-power competition, civilizational conflict, international terrorism, and fragile states is insufficient.