A Non-Hegemonic Order: A View From Latin America

Abstract

The configuration and the changing nature of the international order have become fundamental issues in the current international relations debate. Two different perspectives, among others, have lately been emphasized to capture the features and trends of the ongoing order and its future—the power transition theory introduced by Organski (1958) and later developed more fully by Gilpin (1981); and the interregnum approach anchored in the ideas of Gramsci (1992). Both formulations share the notion of a turbulent time that lacks a legitimate leadership and is marked by formidable challenges to a rebuilding order. Meanwhile, they differ regarding the interpretation of the nature and causes of the ongoing crisis and on the factors that may activate its transformative attributes. Transition and interregnum offer unique and valuable interpretative frameworks that are equally interesting and complementary.