India, March 16 -- There is an abiding sense of pessimism in world politics today. Whether in Asia, Africa, Europe, or North America, a deep and pervasive sense of anxiety about our collective future is unmistakably evident. And there aren't any compelling ideas that can help humanity navigate this moment of uncertainty and anxiety, nor are there any visionary leaders or global public intellectuals to offer us a common global vision. The world seems precariously adrift, like a ship without a rudder on a stormy night.

To attribute this merely to Trump's return to the White House or Russia's invasion of Ukraine would be overly simplistic and a tad ahistorical. This geopolitical depression has been in the making for some time. A desire for ...