World Order – Henry Kissinger

Brief Description of the Book

World Order is a sweeping analysis of how international order has been imagined, built, challenged, and sustained across history. Kissinger compares different civilisational approaches to order—the Westphalian system (Europe), American liberal internationalism, Islamic conceptions of justice and order, and Asian (especially Chinese) views rooted in hierarchy and harmony.
Rather than arguing for one model, the book highlights the tension between power, legitimacy, sovereignty, and morality, making it extremely relevant for GS-2 International Relations, diplomacy, global governance, multipolarity, and Essay.

The following extracts may be used in OPSC answer writing:

“World order describes the concept held by a region or civilisation about the nature of just arrangements and the distribution of power.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Competing visions of global order; legitimacy vs power

“No truly global ‘world order’ has ever existed.”→ GS-2 IR: Limits of universal rules; regional orders vs global governance

“The Westphalian order rests on the principle of sovereignty.”→ GS-2 IR: State sovereignty, non-intervention, international law

“The United States has tended to view international order as an extension of its domestic values.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Liberal internationalism, democracy promotion, global interventions

“China’s concept of order was historically hierarchical, not based on sovereign equality.”→ GS-2 IR: China’s worldview, Belt and Road, Asian security architecture

“Islamic conceptions of order emphasise justice rather than territorial sovereignty.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Alternative normative frameworks, Middle East politics
(Use academically, not normatively.)

“Order requires both power and legitimacy.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Balance between coercion and consent in global governance

“A stable international order requires a balance between power and restraint.”→ GS-2 IR: Deterrence, arms control, responsible leadership

“The absence of a shared concept of legitimacy makes order fragile.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Trust deficit, rule-making challenges, multilateral crisis

“Diplomacy is the art of restraining power.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Role of diplomacy, negotiation, conflict prevention

“International law cannot substitute for equilibrium of power.”→ GS-2 IR: Limits of legalism, realism in global politics

“A multipolar world requires a culture of consultation.”→ GS-2 IR / Essay: Multilateralism, global institutions, consensus-building