Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order is a 2003 book by American historian and foreign policy commentator Robert Kagan. Originally published as an essay in Policy Review in June/July 2002, the book expands on Kagan's thesis that the United States and Europe have fundamentally divergent approaches to international relations and power. Kagan argues that Europe has entered a 'post-historical paradise' of peace, prosperity, and reliance on international laws, rules, and multilateral institutions, inspired by Immanuel Kant's vision of perpetual peace, while the United States remains engaged in a Hobbesian world of anarchy where military power is essential for security and promoting liberal order. This contrast stems from America's overwhelming military dominance post-Cold War, allowing Europe to eschew hard power. The book became influential in transatlantic discourse, especially amid tensions over the Iraq War, highlighting rifts in U.S.-European relations at their lowest since World War II. Kagan, a neoconservative thinker affiliated with institutions like the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Brookings Institution, uses historical and philosophical analysis to explain why Americans and Europeans 'occupy the same world' but view it differently. It critiques Europe's 'soft power' idealism versus America's realism, urging mutual understanding. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, the book received widespread attention, with reviews praising its cogency but some criticizing its oversimplification of European security policies. As a seminal work in international relations literature, Of Paradise and Power has shaped debates on global power dynamics, influencing policymakers and scholars. It underscores Kagan's broader oeuvre on American exceptionalism and the need for U.S. leadership, while sparking controversy for its portrayal of Europe as naive or detached from realpolitik.