Source: Reason
by Scott Beyer
“The authors [of Farewell to Westphalia] premise the book around the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, a set of treaties that ended Europe’s 30 Years’ War and established state sovereignty as the principle for international relations. They argue that while this new order was effective at toppling monarchies, religious despots, and other so-called medieval institutions, the new nation-states haven’t been perfect either. At worst, they further inflamed tribal tensions by drawing arbitrary lines around them. At best, they produced mediocre governance. … Nation-states are also, they argue, already getting disrupted by alternative forms of governance, some preferable to others. These include large corporations, nongovernmental organizations, cartels, special economic zones (SEZs), and homeowners’ associations. It is within this disruption that new, anarchic Web3 technologies enter.” (09/16/25)
https://reason.com/2025/09/16/a-replacement-for-the-nation-state/