AbstractAttempting to understand the way in which the international system evolves and what the main forces that shape its future progress are, is always a complicated endeavour. In the present article, based on the presentation made at the Conference “Sir Hersch Lauterpacht ‐ Lawyer of Two Cultures”, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law of the University of Cambridge, the author undertakes this daunting task. Whereas Kissinger argued that there exist only two paths to stability, hegemony or equilibrium, in this article it is argued that this does not reflect the current reality and challenges of the 21st century. By analysing the current forces and challenges of the modern international community the author of the present article strives to derive certain conclusions as to where the world is heading and what would be the shape of the international system.
