Making Global Society

Barry Buzan proposes a new approach to making International Relations a truly global discipline that transcends both Eurocentrism and comparative civilisations. He narrates the story of humankind as a whole across three eras, using its material conditions and social structures to show how global society has evolved. Deploying the English School's idea of primary institutions and setting their story across three domains - interpolity, transnational and interhuman - this book conveys a living historical sense of the human story whilst avoiding the overabstraction of many social science grand theories. Buzan sharpens the familiar story of three main eras in human history with the novel idea that these eras are separated by turbulent periods of transition. This device enables a radical retelling of how modernity emerged from the late 18th century. He shows how the concept of 'global society' can build bridges connecting International Relations, Global Historical Sociology and Global/World History.

'With his usual incisive analytical aplomb, Barry Buzan's book constructs one of the grandest canvases ever produced for rethinking IR and IPE through effecting a brilliant synthesis of English School theory with Global Historical Sociology/World History and Global IR. By creating a 'big picture' grand theory of the long run rise of global society, this book builds on but advances much further his pioneering agenda-setting book (with Richard Little), International Systems in World History.' John M. Hobson, University of Sheffield, UK
'A summing up of the entire emergence of inter-polity, inter-state and international relations by a master of his trade. Gives the reader something to think with, and, even more importantly, something to think on.' Iver B. Neumann, Director, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway
'This is the book that fans of English School have been waiting for, and only Barry Buzan could have delivered it. His tour de force Making Global Society: A Study of Humankind Across Three Eras helps the reader see both world history and IR theory with new eyes.' Ayse Zarakol, University of Cambridge
'With characteristic ambition and erudition, Buzan tells the sweeping story of the rise and evolution of modern global society. Over the last two decades, Buzan has been a leading figure urging scholars of international relations to move beyond Western-centric approaches to forge a truly global discipline … The strength of Buzan's approach is its universality, weaving the complex evolution of modern society into a single story. He ominously speculates that today's cascading environmental crises could bring to an end modern civilization and the quest for human betterment.' G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs

Barry Buzan is Emeritus Professor in the Department of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Fellow of the British Academy. He has authored, co-authored and edited over thirty books and 170 chapters and articles including Re-imagining International Relations (with Amitav Acharya, 2021) and The Making of Global International Relations (with Amitav Acharya, 2019).

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