Clash of Worldviews

Understanding the 21st Century International Order Through Ideas

By: Haneul Jung

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Hegemony is over. Worldviews collide.
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 World: Why the World Order is Shifting and Why It Matters

CHAPTER 2 Decoding Global Politics: How International Relations Work

CHAPTER 3 The Ends Justify the Means? Realpolitik’s Clash with Legitimacy Through History

CHAPTER 4 The Age of Reason: How the European Enlightenment Shaped Modern Civilization

CHAPTER 5 Kant’s Perpetual Peace: The Foundation of the Liberal Worldview

CHAPTER 6 The European Balance of Power: 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 II: 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 Americana: Unpacking the U.S.-Led Liberal International Order

CHAPTER 11 Rise of Regional Order: China and Russia’s Revisionist Quest for Hegemony

CHAPTER 12 The End of the Unipolar Moment: The Dawn of a New Era

CHAPTER 13 A World Without Hegemon
§1 United States: From Hegemon to the Most Powerful
§2 Russia & China: Rivals and Partners
§3 Confused Liberal Democracies: Amidst Lost Leadership
§4 The Global South: A Renewed Geopolitical Middle Ground

CHAPTER 14 Multipolarity vs. Multilateralism: Why Global Challenges Demand Multilateralism

CHAPTER 15 Liberal Democracy’s Existential Crisis
§1 The Expansion and Fragmentation of Liberal Ideologies
§2 The Perils of Polarization: How Extremism Threatens Liberal Democracy
§3 Possible Remedy: Rise of the Political Center
§4 The Future of Liberal Democracy and the Fate of the Multipolar World

CHAPTER 16 Navigating the Uncertainties: Concluding Reflections on a Changing World

BIBLIOGRAPHY