The Nuclear Dilemma in a 360-Degree Context

In the context of the breakdown of nuclear arms control, the crisis of world order and the background of ecological disruption, this commentary discusses key aspects of a possible world order that can achieve and sustain the abolition of nuclear weapons. It argues that such a new world order it must be fit for purpose in the Anthropocene epoch, in which human activity is the most decisive force shaping the natural world. To explain this proposition, the essay explores ideas about security, arms control, the demise of the current world order and the ecological crisis, and connects them to some fundamentals of political philosophy. This commentary proposes that international relations must be conceptualized in relation to nature and cooperation. In a world challenged by ecological crisis and technological achievements that pose an existential threat, basing national policy on the competitive acquisition of power is both outmoded and counterproductive. It damages both the shared global interest and the interests of each country’s citizens. The essay concludes that this standpoint is in the direct line of descent of classic liberalism. It proposes that a multiplex approach to reaching agreements may be the most fruitful way to transition to a new world order.