Beyond States

Powers, Peoples and Global Order

Anthony Pagden

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English

Polity Press
15 January 2025

History; Politics & government

Today, the majority of the peoples of the planet live in nation-states, based upon the idea, if never the reality, of a single people, a single culture, a single rule of law and a single source of sovereign authority. But will they continue to do so in the future?

None of the major challenges that confront humanity today – from climate change to disease, from terrorism to mass migration – can be handled effectively by single nation-states, no matter how powerful. The world is no longer made up only of states but also of an ever-increasing multitude of interstate networks and organizations which recognize no borders. We are beginning to be able to imagine the very real possibility of a new global civil society. But what political form should this take?

By examining the history of the evolution of human society from the world’s first empires to today’s world of interstate networks, this book argues that there now exists the possibility of the emergence of a new political form, a global ‘federation of federations’, that will bring the species closer to the possibility of a more harmonious, equitable and secure future.

By: Anthony Pagden
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 211mm, Width: 137mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 295g
ISBN: 9781509565405
ISBN 10: 150956540X
Pages: 220
Publication Date: 15 January 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction Chapter 1: Birth of the Nation-State Chapter 2: Ordering the World Chapter 3: A World-Order of Justice Chapter 4: A Federation of the World

Anthony Pagden is distinguished professor of political science and history at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Reviews for Beyond States: Powers, Peoples and Global Order

""This succinct, pungent and wide-ranging book is an elegant survey of the main forms of polity in world history and their competitive afterlives in our present. Any book from Anthony Pagden is an event to be welcomed. Few historians have such reach and readership; few writers have such depth of erudition."" David Armitage, Harvard University ""Beyond States is a fascinating intellectual journey, written with flair and backed by immense knowledge of laws, commerce and nations. Pagden’s reading of history is sophisticated and counterintuitive. This is a must-read book for anyone trying to grasp the evolving nature of global politics."" Jan Zielonka, Universities of Venice and Oxford ""[A] timely and urgent call for rethinking our identities and notions of sovereignty in a world increasingly bound by common and mounting threats. . . . Pagden’s heroic vision may help set future generations free."" ""[A] timely and urgent call for rethinking our identities and notions of sovereignty in a world increasingly bound by common and mounting threats. . . . Pagden’s heroic vision may help set future generations free."" Tingis Magazine ""[A] very interesting book that is certainly worth reading."" Sociological Research Online