Ideological Narratives of National Identity in the Prism of International Politics

The article explores the formation of ideological narratives as instruments of national identity and foreign policy strategy. It examines the evolution of political ideas, with particular emphasis on the United States, and draws parallels with alternative identity narratives in the twenty-first century. The first part of this publication demonstrates how the American messianic image of the “City upon a Hill,” rooted in religious tradition and reinforced by Enlightenment ideals, shaped the liberal world order of the twentieth century. In the twenty-first century, this liberal concept has entered a crisis. To the contrary, similar concepts of Chinese, Russian, and European identities are gaining strength and exacerbating geopolitical competition. The chaotic nature of contemporary international politics is, to a large extent, the result of the struggle between national narratives of exceptionalism.