The Reality of This World

The Reality of This World analyzes one of the most influential concepts known to humanity―“the world”―focusing primarily on the material conditions of our existence. It is the companion to The World as Idea: A Conceptual History (Routledge, 2021). Together, the two volumes constitute “The Fate of This World and the Future of Humanity.”

In this book, Charles P. Webel examines the theories and policies that have constructed the world as it is. He proposes strategies for transforming it into a more equitable and sustainable habitat both for humans and for the other species with whom we coexist on Earth. In doing so, he describes how the social and natural sciences, as well as philosophy and the humanities, have abetted our understanding of this world and explores why globalization and rationalization, as well as such “alternative realities” as digital and AI technologies, may simultaneously advance our collective well-being while also putting life on Earth at existential risk. In conclusion, Webel proposes political and other solutions to mitigate such risks.

The Reality of This World will be of great interest to scholars in fields ranging from philosophy and intellectual history to political and social theory, as well as to students and a general public interested in understanding and transforming our world.

Charles P. Webel is currently Professor and Guarantor at the School of International Relations of the University of New York in Prague, as well as Fulbright Specialist in Peace and Conflict Resolution. A five-time Fulbright Scholar, he has taught, studied, or lectured at Oxford, Stanford, Heidelberg, Harvard, and the University of California at Berkeley, where he received his Ph.D. As an undergraduate, with the guidance of his Philosophy Department advisor, Charles Webel created an individual major called “The Human Construction of Reality. Dr. Webel has published more than a dozen books, including Peace and Conflict Studies (with D. Barash); Terror, Terrorism, and the Human Condition; The Politics of Rationality; and The World as Idea. He is a lifelong peace activist and has weaknesses for good gelato and bad puns.