At the beginning of the 19th century, important challenges needed to be addressed.
A gamut of unsolved problems and obstacles caused by human action has caused assessments and prospective analyses to emphasize the role of science. Saraiva relates in his book Contemporary International Relations: From the construction of the liberal world to Globalization – from 1815 onwards:
“The chapter of political science that focuses on international phenomena is being redefined. The theories and models adopted have lost consistency at the end of the century” (Saraiva, 1997: 17).
When Saraiva wrote the book, in 1997, it was not imagined that the major superpower in the planet – the USA – would suffer the greatest terrorist act of history. September 11 marks world history and raises several questions on the current world order. Is globalization the cause for this tragedy? Is the neo-liberal paradigm inadequate to Latin America and developing nations? Is the decadence of the National State a factor? Or the increase in social inequality and poverty, as well as the lack of recognition of other cultures are the culprits?