The Emerging Global Normative Synthesis

Out of discordant, often strident, conflicting voices that emanate from the East and the West, a new composition is slowly arising. The synthesized tune has a limited register and on many issues divergent voices will continue to be heard. It is sure to be accorded"divergent interpretations in various parts of the world and over time. Yet the new tune might well suffice to provide stronger support for global institution building than was available in recent decades. The metaphorical "voices" referred to are expressions of basic normative positions, worldviews, and ideologies. They concern values rather than power relations or economic resources; they define what people consider as legitimate, a major foundation of social order and good government.