The Clash of Civilizations: Is the West Losing Its Moral Authority?

A salon on the future of Western democracy, global power shifts, and the changing international order.

For much of the modern era, particularly in the decades following the Cold War, Western societies have presented openness, human rights, and liberal democracy not simply as political arrangements but as moral imperatives. These principles have shaped international institutions, global norms, and the way the West understands its role in the world, reinforcing the belief that the West holds a particular moral authority within the international order.

This belief stems largely from the West’s historical promotion of liberal democracy, individual rights, and the rule of law. After the Second World War these ideas were institutionalized through international frameworks and organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union. Rooted partly in the intellectual legacy of the Enlightenment, this worldview often portrayed the West as a defender of human rights, democratic governance, and global stability. The success of Western political and economic systems, together with the creation of the postwar international order, strengthened the perception that the West was not only powerful but also morally exemplary.

Yet the global balance of power is changing. As the relative influence of Western countries declines and other civilizations gain economic and political weight, a new question emerges. Will the world move toward a more fragmented order in which different civilizations develop their own political models, economic systems, and spheres of influence?

More fundamentally, as the influence of the Western worldview weakens, can Western societies adapt to new geopolitical realities while maintaining political confidence and cultural coherence? Will the West be able to adjust to a changing global balance of power and preserve its influence? During this salon we will examine several key aspects of Western culture and institutions and consider whether they will withstand the test of time:

Human rights. Do rights exist independently of responsibilities? Can societies maintain equality of political influence while preserving social cohesion?

Democracy. Does democracy function equally well across different cultural and political environments, or does it depend on particular historical and cultural foundations?

Western resilience. Western societies have faced periods of crisis before and have often regained influence. Are today’s challenges fundamentally different, or will the West once again adapt and renew itself?

Culture and conflict. Will future conflicts be driven primarily by civilizational and cultural differences, as some theorists suggest, or will strategic interests and realpolitik remain the dominant forces shaping global politics?

The individual. How do these transformations affect each of us in terms of identity, responsibility, and the choices we make about our lives?

We hope discussing these topics will help us understand the world as it currently is. Will countries be able to cooperate globally, or will we enter a long period of irreversible decline, economic collapse, moral decadence? What tools does an individual human have to manage these transitions and face these challenges?