Arnold Toynbee’s Theory of World Government

This paper focuses upon Arnold Toynbee’s treatments of modern Western civilization and world politics with a view to identifying his “theory of world government.” For analytic purposes, Toynbee is regarded as a “political theorist.” A political theorist begins his work out of a growing sense that something is wrong in the society. His first concern, therefore, is to identify the problem. He then must engage in a careful diagnosis of the political malfunction he has perceived. Next, using his imagination, the theorist is naturally moved to consider what the political order would like if the problem or predicament was dealt with as effectively as possible. Finally the political theorist will very likely make some programatic suggestions which would, in his view, best remedy the problem he has analyzed. From this understanding of political theory, it is assumed that political theory consists of philosophical vision, diagnosis, and prescription. This paper thus seeks to examine the three components of Toynbee’s “theory of world government” in order, using as the main source of reference his crucial texts published after the Second World War and some books by a few Toynbee specialists. It is expected that this study would help make a clear understanding of Toynbee’s mixture of philosophy of history, insightful reflections, and critical analysis of world politics. In conclusion, it is argued that his theory of world government resulted from his Christian knowledge, not belief, and active participation in religiuous movements. Whether he would have wanted or not, it seems that his theory of world government supports Christian eschatology and would also boost discussions of the possibility and necessity of a global nation, invigorating a cultural or religious approach to world politics.