Liberal universalism, for all its claims of celebrating “diversity,” operates as a force of erasure, denying every culture’s intrinsic worth
The unipolar era is collapsing, and in its place rises a new world, shaped by distinct centers of power, each bound to its traditions, values, and histories. Multipolarity rejects the artificial imposition of a single worldview, instead proclaiming the beneficial heterogeneity of human existence. It is a call to rediscover the strength of firmly established identities and to embrace a stabilized global order.
For centuries, the world was lorded over by empires that sought to impose their singular, myopic vision upon all peoples. Liberal universalism, with its insistence (like Star Trek’s Borg with their hive mind) on assimilating the world into one model, has failed to create harmony. Multipolarity, on the other hand, recognizes that genuine coexistence depends on respecting the uniqueness of each civilization. It seeks not to erase differences but to create a world where each culture thrives on its own terms, contributing to a dynamic and unadulterated global reality.
A profound transformation is underway. Multipolarity marks a return to the natural state of a world composed of many civilizations, each pursuing its destiny. This revival is seen in the resurgence of ancient powers such as Orthodox Russia, Confucian China, and Hindu India. These nations are not relics of the past but living civilizations, reconnecting with their historical roots to take their proper places in the present. They reject the unipolar dictatorship of the Atlanticist model, which imposes liberal democracy and market capitalism as universal truths.
The conflict between land-based and sea-based powers is central to the unfolding multipolar world. Maritime empires, like Britain and the United States, long preeminent in global trade and geopolitics, are now facing the comeback of continental alliances. The seas, once the lifelines of Western hegemony, are giving way to the strategic establishment of the land as the new focus of commercial and political activity. Tellurocracy, the reign of the land, confronts thalassocracy, the reign of the sea – tipping the geopolitical scale of power.
Eurasia exemplifies the triumph of the land. Its vast connectivity through infrastructure and economic corridors, from railroads to energy pipelines, undermines the primacy of maritime trade routes. This contest is not merely about command over resources but reflects a deeper philosophical divide. The land represents rootedness, tradition, and stability, while the sea symbolizes fluidity, disruption, and the unmoored aspirations of modernity. Multipolarity restores the equilibrium between these forces, defying the centuries-long dominance of oceanic powers and placing the ancient, grounded civilizations of Eurasia at the forefront of global affairs.
At the heart of multipolarity lies ethnopluralism – the recognition that distinct peoples cannot be blended into a single identity without destroying what makes them unique. Ethnopluralism opposes the liberal dream of the “melting pot,” viewing it as a forced amalgamation of disparate cultures. Instead, it argues for the coexistence of separate communities, each displaying its characteristics within its own boundaries.
Europe’s current discontent provides a stark lesson. The riots and social unrest in nations like France and Belgium are not isolated incidents but signs of a deeper crisis. These conflicts reveal the failure of forced multicultural integration, which has ignored the fundamental differences between communities. A more sustainable path forward lies in setting up autonomous regions where specific ethnic groups can live in accordance with their own traditions, free from external pressures. This model recalls the decentralized nature of the Holy Roman Empire, which united different regions under a common spiritual framework without obliterating their unique characteristics. This respect for local autonomy fostered resilience and ethnocultural preservation, qualities that resonate with the tenets of multipolarity.
The French political theorist Guillaume Faye’s vision of Archeofuturism brings this idea into the modern era. He proposes a synthesis of ancient traditions with forward-looking innovation. This vision combines the timeless veneration of heritage with the opportunities presented by technological progress. It aligns with multipolarity by advocating a world that honors the wisdom of the past while engaging with the issues of the present. Faye’s model offers a way to move forward without abandoning the foundations that support all civilizations.
Africa’s role in the emerging multipolar order cannot be separated from its historical experience of colonialism. The Berlin Conference of 1884-85 divided the continent among European powers, which stripped African peoples of their sovereignty and stole their resources. This era of colonial oppression imposed artificial borders and alien governance structures, setting the stage for decades of exploitation and instability.
Today, however, Africa is reclaiming its agency. The spirit of Pan-Africanism, championed by figures like Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois, inspires a new ideal of self-determination. Garvey’s demand for African pride and repatriation, along with Du Bois’ endorsement of global solidarity among peoples of African descent, laid the foundation for Africa’s modern renaissance. This revival is political as well as modern myth-building, as African nations reconnect with their traditions and assume their rightful roles in the theater of continents. By rejecting the legacy of colonialism and embracing its exclusive path, African civilization contributes to the multipolar world as a vital and equal participant.
America, long the undisputed headquarters of unipolarity, now faces its own reckoning. The presidency of Donald Trump signals a shift away from globalist ambitions towards a more isolationist stance. Trump’s rhetoric and policies reflect a growing disillusionment with the liberal international order, which has overextended American influence at great cost. His postulate of “America First” confirms the sentiments of a nation weary of endless wars and foreign entanglements.
This isolationist impulse, while criticized by many, marks a break from the interventionist policies that have hitherto defined US overreach. Trump’s methods, although uneven, lay bare the contradictions within the unipolar system. As America recalibrates its role in the world, its withdrawal opens space for multipolarity to flourish. In the absence of a single superpower, a more balanced global order comes into being, where civilizations assert their sovereignty without fear of external interference.
Liberal universalism, for all its claims of celebrating “diversity,” operates as a force of erasure. It reduces cultures to superficial symbols, stripping them of their depth and meaning. Driven by materialism and individualism, it undermines the spiritual and communal pillars of societies. This worldview treats everything as a resource to be used and discarded indiscriminately, echoing the German philosopher Martin Heidegger’s critique of the technological ordering of existence (Gestell).
Multipolarity is a counterbalance. It defends the sanctity of each culture, illuminating the true beauty of mankind in its authentic diversity. Civilizations are not interchangeable, and their differences are not problems to be solved but treasures to be safeguarded. The multipolar order seeks to preserve these distinctions, creating a world where unique cultures coexist without being tyrannized by an alien entity.
The unipolar world has not only been brought up by liberal universalism but also by the persistence of White supremacist ideologies. Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” encapsulates the colonialist mindset that tried to justify Western European guardianship of the non-Western world. This paternalistic worldview, repackaged for modern times, persists in the form of Western interventions, sanctions, and mental indoctrination.
Today, the imposition of perverse liberal anti-values on resistant civilizations revives this older imperialist ambition. The narrative of “progress” and “human rights” often masks an underlying desire to enforce Western rule. Multipolarity deconstructs this racist agenda by affirming the dignity of all cultures and rejecting the moral superiority falsely claimed by any one civilization. It invites us to move beyond the colonialist hierarchies that have erected the modern world, creating a space where all peoples can chart their destinies free from external coercion.
The anthropology of Franz Boas provides a philosophical foundation for the multipolar vision. Boas rejects the idea of a universal hierarchy of cultures, arguing instead that each culture must be understood within its own context. His theoretical framework of cultural relativism dismantles the Eurocentric belief that Western civilization represents the pinnacle of human achievement. Boas emphasizes that every culture has intrinsic worth, born from its unique history and environment. This perspective aligns with multipolarity, which is against the imposition of a single model on all societies. Boas’ work reveals the depth and sophistication of cultures dismissed as “primitive,” questioning the assumptions that underlie much of modern liberalism. His insights remain vital in understanding the revolutionary significance of ethnocultural plurality in the multipolar realignment of the world.
The Russian thinker Alexander Dugin argues that each civilization, like an individual, possesses its own destiny and cannot be subsumed under a universal framework. Dugin critiques Western liberalism as a form of imperialism, seeking to impose its diseased customs on all societies, whether they want them or not, through regime changes and bombs.
Dugin’s concept of Eurasianism stresses the importance of rootedness and cultural identity. It puts the spotlight on the spiritual and historical depth of civilizations, standing in opposition to the abstraction and cosmopolitan rootlessness of modernity. Dugin envisions a world where each civilization prospers according to its own principles, rejecting the homogenizing pressures of unipolar despotism.
An essential element of multipolarity is the strategy of remigration. This involves reversing demographic shifts that have destabilized social cohesion in many regions. Advocates of remigration argue that it is not an act of exclusion but a necessary step towards restoring equilibrium and control. By encouraging displaced peoples to return to their ancestral homelands, this approach seeks to honor cultural and historical integrity.
Remigration is based on the principles of ethnopluralism. It aims to create conditions where all cultures can thrive within their deserved territories. While controversial, it is a practical response to the challenges of cultural dissonance in a world undergoing profound change.
Hegel’s philosophy sheds light on the historical forces driving the implementation of multipolarity. His notion of the World Spirit sees history as a process of unfolding freedom, guided by the interaction of opposing forces. The unipolar world represents a stagnation of this process, suppressing the natural variety of civilizations.
Multipolarity, by contrast, allows for the free development of all cultures, each contributing to the broader movement of history. Hegel’s dialectic reminds us that authentic progress is born from contradiction, and multipolarity represents a resolution of the tensions inherent in the unipolar era. The rise of multipolarity is not an end but a continuation of mankind’s historical journey.
The renewed world order will not be dictated by a single power imposing its will on the rest. Instead, it will be an orchestra of civilizations, each of them a potent instrument of ethnocultural expression. Multipolarity promises a world where power is distributed and cultural integrity is upheld, creating the possibility for genuine cooperation.
As the unipolar world collapses under its contradictions, a new dawn materializes – one of richness, adventure, and optimism. For those seeking a deeper understanding of the ideas expressed in this article, my book MULTIPOLARITY! offers a comprehensive exploration of the paradigms leading to this transformative era.