On the prospects of world order.

• Author: Griffin, Bryan
• Position: Book review

A Review of World Order

By Henry Kissinger

(New York: Penguin Press, 2014), 420 pages.

Henry Kissinger's World Order poses a timely question: How does the world achieve peace and stability among actors whose definition of "order" varies? Kissinger contends that a successful approach to world order must incorporate both the "multifariousness of the human condition" and the "ingrained human quest for freedom." (1)

Kissinger's argument begins with an examination of why the world is prone to conflict. When both historical experience and the development of shared values differ among civilizations, conflict is more likely than order. (2) The leitmotif of our age, he explains, is science and technology. (3) Humankind's advancement in both communications and weapons development has redefined conflict. Today's actors must make every decision on a global stage with the entire world watching. Since the Manhattan project, weapons technology has become so advanced and catastrophic that war is no longer a decision that can be made through a mere cost-benefit analysis. (4) War between nuclear-armed, modern superpowers would mean debilitating destruction of both parties, and one could never be certain that the benefits would outweigh the costs. Thus, the prospect for modern peace necessitates the mitigation of superpower conflict through diplomacy, restraint, and cooperation--in short, a new world order.

With both the question and the impetus clearly posed in the beginning of the book, Kissinger then dedicates several chapters to detailing the historical context for the splintered path of development of various world actors. His approach of dichotomizing actors by region makes the read organized, and his expert knowledge of world history is apparent in his meticulous analysis of each region. He grounds every assertion of an actor's motive or developing world view with a historical event and provides speech excerpts, and even maps, where appropriate.

In his discussion of the European experience, he underscores the uniquely advanced nature of the Peace of Westphalia. Early Europe "thrived on fragmentation" and "embraced its own divisions," which meant, for a period, it staved off the conquest ethic for a balance-of-power system. (5) Yet later, Napoleonic campaigns came, and Europe was constantly forced back to the drawing board. From the Congress of Vienna to the Treaty of Versailles and beyond a post-Cold War peace, European order was drafted in steps that...