How do we navigate the crisis in international order?

Speakers:

Chair: TBC

• Ayşe Zarakol, Professor of International Relations at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Emmanuel College. Author of Before the West: the Rise and Fall of Eastern Orders.
• Tom Holland, Historian, Author (Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind) and Broadcaster.

Many today have lamented the end of the liberal international order which has been in existence since its creation in the wake of the Second World War. However, this is not the first time that humanity has faced a crisis of international order. Myriad civilisations such as the Hellenic, Persian, Egyptian, Sumerian and Chinese provide a range of intellectual and practical responses to the challenges of order or disorder.

But what does the end of an order actually mean in practical terms? What are the signs that an order is coming to an end, does it fragment or does it disintegrate entirely? Beyond simply the absence of order, how should we conceptualise disorder? What are the most interesting and analogous historical moments to draw comparisons from, including previous states, kingdoms, or civilisations that dealt with this in the past?

Our panel of experts will address these questions and more as they attempt to glean vital lessons from history for the current state of world order, in the fourth War Studies at 60 Seminar hosted by the Centre for Grand Strategy.

This event will be taking place in person and online with a panel formed of a chair from the Centre for Grand Strategy, Ayşe Zarakol, Professor of International Relations at the University of Cambridge, and Tom Holland, Historian, Author and Broadcaster. 

Attendees can join in person or online. A drinks reception will take place after the talks. Book your place via Eventbrite.

This event is part of the War Studies at 60 Seminar Series, a series of events exploring key issues in security and defence as part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Department of War Studies.