This text identifies a radical shift in concepts that form the philosophical basis of modern politics, concepts such as sovereignty, nation and people - and links this philosophical transformation to cultural and economic changes in postmodern society.

They also show how the power of transnational corporaitons and the increasing predominance of post-industrial forms of labour and production help to define the new imperial global order. More than analysis, "Empire" is also an utopian work of political philosophy, a new Communist Manifesto. Looking beyond the regimes of exploitation and control that characterise today's world order, it seeks an alternative political paradigm - the basis for a truly democratic global society.