Thinking beyond a polarized world: why multiplexity matters

Abstract This article acts as a conclusion to the special section in this issue of International Affairs. It draws on the articles included in the special section and the broader research project behind it, which seeks to offer a reading of power and pluralism in the post-liberal era, building on the concept of a ‘multiplex world order’ first introduced in Acharya's 2014 work The end of American world order. The article presents four key dimensions of multiplexity: political-economic, technological, critical and temporal, to foster a fresh understanding of continuity and change in the world order. Multiplexity is partly a structural theory which holds that a decentred and pluralistic structure of world order can influence stability and development, but it also views the international system as agent-centric and points to the importance and likelihood of cooperation at the regional level.