Abstract:

After the defeat of the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century, the future belongs neither to pure pragmatism nor to the clash of civilizations. Ideas are as important as ever, but they no longer form coherent wholes. They are hard to disentangle from interests and passions. This is the conclusion drawn from the debate in international relations theory, from cursory examination of the wars and revolutions of the 20th century, and from the present struggle between universalism and particularism which is at work both in the debate around globalization and in the successes and failures of religious movements.

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