The epic story of the global order reveals how the decline of the West may be beneficial for its future. Since the dawn of the 21st century, the West has been in crisis. Social unrest, political polarization, and the rise of other great powers - particularly China - threaten to destabilize the current Western dominance in the world. Many fear that this will lead to global chaos. However, this is a Western illusion. Looking back over five thousand years of global history, political scientist Amitav Acharya shows that the global order existed long before the rise of the West. From ancient Sumer, India, Greece, and Mesoamerica, to the medieval caliphates and Eurasian empires up to the present, Acharya demonstrates that humanitarian values, economic interdependence, and rules of interstate behavior have emerged worldwide over the millennia. History suggests that order will survive even if the West recedes. Rather than fearing the future, the West should learn from history and collaborate with others to shape a fairer order.