ABSTRACT
The world is entering a new historical phase in which the economic, political and cultural hegemony of the Western world is being reconsidered. The language of ‘polarity’ is increasingly capturing international political discourse. Accordingly, pressures arise to complement the existing literature on international relations with a meaningful theory that considers the emerging centres of political influence as a significant structural factor in international political conduct. The question of which elements become decisive in securing the role of a global or regional pole of influence is part and parcel of these theorisations. This chapter examines the significance of ideational aspects in achieving global or regional hegemony. The discussion argues that classical Western liberalism has been able to formulate answers to existential human questions for several centuries. However, in the course of various political and ideological transformations, it has begun to generate a wide range of ethical dilemmas and contradictions. As a result, a number of alternative public doctrines informing domestic and international policy conduct have emerged. The chapter discusses Russia's ideology of left conservatism as one potential ideational strand that has the ambition to challenge Western neoliberal hegemony and provide answers to the contradictions and dilemmas generated by contemporary Western leadership.
