International Order Volume - Chinese Scholars View the World (1)

Author: Wang Jisi, Chief Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Order is a fundamental element of society, and without order, it is difficult to form a society. Therefore, when we discuss international order, the international community is clearly a concept closely related to it. However, since the establishment of the Westphalian system, anarchy has gradually been regarded as the basic marker distinguishing international politics from domestic politics, separating international order from society. The domestic system is hierarchical. The international system is anarchic. The domestic system is ordered. The international system is a "wilderness." These views are prominent in Western concepts of international order. The thinking of contemporary Chinese scholars on international order has also been influenced by this trend of thought. Traditional Chinese worldview lacks the concept of anarchy. The traditional Chinese worldview is known as the "All Under Heaven" (Tianxia) perspective, which is based on hierarchy and does not distinguish between international and domestic political realms based on anarchy.