Approaches to World Order

A collection of Robert Cox's most important essays on politics and world order.

Robert W. Cox (Author), Timothy J. Sinclair (With)

9780521466516, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 March 1996

572 pages, 3 b/w illus.
23.4 x 15.5 x 3.7 cm, 0.86 kg

'… for [those] who are simply interested in gaining a greater insight into one of the foremost scholars of political economy today, this volume will handsomely repay time spent consulting it.' Millennium

Robert Cox's writings have had a profound influence on recent developments in thinking in world politics and political economy in many countries. This book brings together for the first time his most important essays, grouped around the theme of world order. The volume is divided into sections dealing respectively with theory; with the application of Cox's approach to recent changes in world political economy; and with multilateralism and the problem of global governance. The book also includes a critical review of Cox's work by Timothy Sinclair, and an essay by Cox tracing his own intellectual journey. This volume will be an essential guide to Robert Cox's critical approach to world politics for students and teachers of international relations, international political economy, and international organisation.

Part I. Overviews: 1. Beyond international relations theory: Robert W. Cox and approaches to world order Timothy J. Sinclair
2. Influences and commitments
Part II. Theory: 3. The idea of international labour regulation
4. Realism, positivism
5. On thinking about future world order
6. Social forces, states and world orders
7. Gramsci, hegemony and international relations: an essay in method
8. Towards a post-hegemonic conceptualisation of world-order: reflections on the relevancy of Ibn Khaldun
9. 'Take six eggs': theory, finance, and the real economy in the work of Susan Strange
Part III. Interpretations: 10. The global political economy and social choice
11. 'Real socialism' in historical perspective
12. Structural issues of global governance: implications for Europe
13. Middlepowermanship, Japan, and future world order
14. Production and security
15. Global perestroika
Part IV. Multilateralism: 16. The executive head: an essay on leadership in international organisation
17. Decision making with Harold K. Jacobsen
18. Ideologies and the new international economic order: reflection on some recent literature
19. Labour and hegemony
20. Labour and hegemony: a reply
21. Multilateralism and world order
22. Globalisation, multilateralism and democracy.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]