The End of Arrogance
America in the Global Competition of Ideas
Published on 30. September 2010
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-0-674-05818-7 (ISBN)
Description
Free-market capitalism, hegemony, Western culture, peace, and democracy-the ideas that shaped world politics in the twentieth century and underpinned American foreign policy-have lost a good deal of their strength. Authority is now more contested and power more diffuse. Hegemony (benign or otherwise) is no longer a choice, not for the United States, for China, or for anyone else.
Steven Weber and Bruce Jentleson are not declinists, but they argue that the United States must take a different stance toward the rest of the world in this, the twenty-first century. Now that we can't dominate others, we must rely on strategy, making trade-offs and focusing our efforts. And they do not mean military strategy, such as "the global war on terror." Rather, we must compete in the global marketplace of ideas-with state-directed capitalism, with charismatic authoritarian leaders, with jihadism. In politics, ideas and influence are now critical currency.
At the core of our efforts must be a new conception of the world order based on mutuality, and of a just society that inspires and embraces people around the world.
Steven Weber and Bruce Jentleson are not declinists, but they argue that the United States must take a different stance toward the rest of the world in this, the twenty-first century. Now that we can't dominate others, we must rely on strategy, making trade-offs and focusing our efforts. And they do not mean military strategy, such as "the global war on terror." Rather, we must compete in the global marketplace of ideas-with state-directed capitalism, with charismatic authoritarian leaders, with jihadism. In politics, ideas and influence are now critical currency.
At the core of our efforts must be a new conception of the world order based on mutuality, and of a just society that inspires and embraces people around the world.
Reviews / Votes
In this little book, two leading scholars offer a manifesto for U.S. leadership in a post-Western international system... Acknowledging that no country has a monopoly on good ideas, the book makes a good case that the United States needs to recast the way it talks about its role in the world. -- G. John Ikenberry * Foreign Affairs * The End of Arrogance makes a strong case for the end of the hegemony of American ideas in the foreign-policy sphere, examines what a more complex and diverse set of influences could create in terms of a future world order, and offers some important advice on how America can keep up in a more competitive world. -- Elizabeth Dickinson * Foreign Policy blog * Dazzling. -- Ronald Brownstein * National Journal * Weber and Jentleson put forward a powerful and provocative view of the coming frontiers for foreign policy-a global competition of ideas. Their arguments pose the right challenge to governments, corporations, and NGOs operating on a global stage, and provide practical advice for what to do about it. -- Janice Stein, Director, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of TorontoMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 127 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
318 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-674-05818-7 (9780674058187)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2011
Harvard University Press
€91.99
Available for download
Persons
Steven Weber is Professor in the School of Information and Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a global leader in the analysis of issues at the intersection of technology markets, intellectual property, and international politics. His books include The Success of Open Source and, with Bruce W. Jentleson, The End of Arrogance: America in the Global Competition of Ideas (both from Harvard). Bruce W. Jentleson is Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University.