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World government

Notion of a single common political authority for all of humanity

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The inception of the United Nations (UN) in the mid-20th century remains the closest approximation to a world government, as it is by far the largest and most powerful international institution. The UN is mostly limited to an advisory role, with the stated purpose of fostering cooperation between existing national governments, rather than exerting authority over them.

The concept of universal governance has been the subject of debate. Some thinkers have discussed it as a natural and inevitable outcome of human social evolution, and interest in it has coincided with the trends of globalization. Opponents of world government view the concept as a tool for violent totalitarianism, unfeasible, or simply unnecessary.

Definition

From ancient history to contemporary times, the idea of universal governance by one polity has been the subject of discussion, debate, and advocacy by rulers, philosophers, religious leaders, and secular humanists. Alexander Wendt defines a state as an "organization possessing a monopoly on the legitimate use of organized violence within a society." According to Wendt, a world state would need to fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Monopoly on organized violence – states have exclusive use of legitimate force within their own territory.
  2. Legitimacy – perceived as right by their own populations, and possibly the global community.
  3. Sovereignty – possessing common power and legitimacy.
  4. Corporate action – a collection of individuals who act together in a systematic way.

Wendt argues that a world government would not require a centrally controlled army or a central decision-making body, as long as the four conditions are fulfilled. In order to develop a world state, three changes must occur in the world system:

  1. Universal security community – a peaceful system of binding dispute resolution without threat of interstate violence.
  2. Universal collective security – unified response to crimes and threats.
  3. Supranational authority – binding decisions are made that apply to each and every state.

The development of a world government is conceptualized by Wendt as a process through five stages:

  1. System of states;
  2. Society of states;
  3. World society;
  4. Collective security;
  5. World state.

Wendt argues that a struggle among sovereign individuals results in the formation of a collective identity and eventually a state. The same forces are present within the international system and could possibly, and potentially inevitably lead to the development of a world state through this five-stage process. When the world state would emerge, the traditional expression of states would become localized expressions of the world state. This process occurs within the default state of anarchy present in the world system.

Immanuel Kant conceptualized the state as sovereign individuals formed out of conflict. Part of the traditional philosophical objections to a world state (Kant, Hegel) are overcome by modern technological innovations. Wendt argues that new methods of communication and coordination can overcome these challenges.

A colleague of Wendt in the field of International Relations, Max Ostrovsky, conceptualized the development of a world government as a process in one stage: The world will be divided on two rival blocs, one based on North America and another on Eurasia, which clash in World War III and, "if civilization survives," the victorious power conquers the rest of the world, annexes and establishes world state. Remarkably, Wendt also supposes the alternative of universal conquest leading to world state, provided the conquering power recognizes "its victims as full subjects." In such case, the mission is accomplished "without intermediate stages of development."

International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of rules, norms, legal customs and standards that states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generally do, obey in their mutual relations. In international relations, actors are simply the individuals and collective entities, such as states, international organizations, and non-state groups, which can make behavioral choices, whether lawful or unlawful. Rules are formal, typically written expectations that outline required behavior, while norms are informal, often unwritten guidelines about appropriate behavior that are shaped by custom and social practice. It establishes norms for states across a broad range of domains, including war and diplomacy, economic relations, and human rights.

International law differs from state-based domestic legal systems in that it operates largely through consent, since there is no world government to enforce it upon sovereign states. States and non-state actors may choose to not abide by international law, and even to breach a treaty, but such violations, particularly of peremptory norms, can be met with disapproval by others and in some cases coercive action including diplomacy, economic sanctions, and war. The lack of a final authority in international law can also cause far reaching differences. This is partly the effect of states being able to interpret international law in a manner which they see fit. This can lead to problematic stances which can have large local effects.

Since a world government could come in several different forms, from tyrannical to democratic, it has many proponents and detractors across the broad political spectrum. Proponents see it as a natural and inevitable outcome of human social evolution, while opponents view the concept as a tool for violent totalitarianism, unfeasible, or simply unnecessary.

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