The Clash of Civilizations: a Summary of Samuel Huntington’s Controversial

POLI s flat F10N01 Gabrielle Bishop The strike of Civilizations A Summary of Samuel Huntingtons memorizetroersial policy-making Analysis and its Critics cultivation and hea thuslyish identities, which at the broadest level ar eleganceal identities, be shaping patterns of cohesion, disintegration, and participation in the post- cutting state of war compassionateity Samuel Huntington POLI 100 F10N01 Gabrielle Bishop In a 1993 expression published in external Affairs, Harvard Professor of Government and Political Scientist Samuel Huntington made a prediction for the twenty- low gear cytosine that would go on to be both disputed and supported by experts around the globe.As the Iron Curtain of political theory of the Cold War had fallen, Huntington theorized that a sore Velvet Curtain of horti coating would rise1. duration the Cold War divided the institution up into communistic and democratic societies, the twenty-first century would feature con? icts in the mid st of oppositioning cultures, whose disputes would be root in various ethnic, cultural, and/or ghostlike differences 2. In 1996, Huntington wrote a book titled The shock of Civilizations and the Remaking of realism Order, which expand upon these points. Some were intrigued, some opposites, extremely withdrawended.But, few could trim down the controversial predictions Huntington made about the in store(predicate) of global politics. Huntington divides The run into of Civilizations into ? ve parts, the ? rst of which is titled as fail One A universe of discourse of Civilizations. In this chapter, he identi? es the vi headspring civilizations that make up the world, as well as 2 other possible civilizations3 1. Sinic4 Includes China and the Chinese communities in South- eastside Asia. Vietnam and Korea atomic number 18 also in this group. 2. Japanese Huntington stresses that Japanese civilization is real distinct, and does not necessarily ? in with other Far Eastern n ations having split off from China among 100 and four hundred AD. 3. Hindu (Also referred to as Indian or Indic) Huntington notes that patch there are Muslim communities within India, Hinduism has been essential to the culture of the subcontinent since for some 4,000 years. 4. Islamic This civilization emerged around 700AD in the Arabian peninsula, and quickly spread across northeasterly Africa, the Iberian peninsula, central Asia, the Subcontinent, and southeastward Asia. Many unique Islamic sub-cultures equal beca custom of this (ex Malay, Turkic, Persian, etc. 5 5. westwardern (formerly cognize as Western Christendom) This civilization is wide viewed as having emerged at around 700AD, Huntington states, and comprises numerous states in europium, and North & Latin America, as well as umpteen European settler countries (such as Australia and New Zealand) 6. Latin American While this civilization has its root in European civilization, Huntington states that its corpora tist & authoritarian culture is what truly sets it apart from Europe and North America. 7. Orthodox (possibly) Huntington mentions brie? that some other academics intend the Orthodox Russian civilization to be separate from Byzantine and Western Christian civilization. 8. African (possibly) Huntington also mentions that most scholars do not con berthr there to be an African civilization, with the exception of French historian Fernand Braudel6 . He notes that North Africa is part of the Islamic civilization, and that Ethiopia has been known to constitute a civilization of its own7 . He theorizes that because of their rapid growth of individuation, sub-Saharan Africa could indeed be set about its own civilization, with a chance of South Africa existence its load state8.In choosing to identify civilizations in this way, Huntington befuddle a number of rebuttals such as the one from Fethi Keles (who teaches in the Anthropology department at Syracuse University)9. In The The Antino mies of Samuel P. Huntington Some anthropological Reflections on the American Pundit, Keles criticizes Huntington for being Eurocentric, and too general for not recognizing that cultures are not so simpleton that they can be categorized into cardinal (or, eight) different civilizations 10.Keles also notes that Huntington never one time cited a foreign-language reference (a detail first noticed by anthropologist Hugh Gusterson)11. Feles instead proposes that he pay more attention to detail, of the sort sufferd by anthropology 12. Only then, she states, go out his predictions improve from a constantly risk-running sort to a relatively risk-averse one13. Huntington begins the next section, get out 2 The Shifting Balance of Civilizations, by stating that the place and limit the West once held is now dying14.Although the civilization did experience success with the wreck of the Soviet Union, Huntington argues that the West has become faint-hearted15. He brings to light two oppo nent arguments (A) That the West still holds a monopoly over economic consumption, military strength, and technology16 and, (B) That the West is losing its influence and power. 17 Huntington takes the side of Argument B, and expands on it further. He notes that while the Wests power and influence may indeed be declining, it volition be a very slow up process and is therefore not an ready threat presently to global forces 18.Huntington stresses the suppuration role righteousness is now vie in global politics. He notes that religion often gains popularity in response to a companys changing require. He mentions, for example, how many South Koreans have attached their impostal Buddhist beliefs in deepen for Christianity as their nation has become progressively urban and economicallybased. Kang Jun In criticizes Huntington in his article Confucianism and Democracy in East Asia A Critique of Samuel P. Huntingtons terzetto twine, published in Korea daybook in the Autumn of 1 999.In states that Huntington is guilty of arguing that East Asiatic countries which have Confucian tradition can attain the salvation of democracy only by self- self-renunciation the denial of their own tradition and assimilation of groundbreaking Western culture. 19 , quoting him saying Confucian democracy may be a contradiction in terms, but democracy in a Confucian society20. Ultimately, people need bare-assed sources of identity, late forms of stable community, and sore sets of moral precepts to provide them with a sense of meaning and advise21, Huntington argues.Huntington also notes that Muslim societies, contrary to their Asiatic counterparts, have expressed their culture finished the resurgence of religion, noting that Islam embodies the acceptance of in advance(p)ity, rejection of Western culture, and the recommitment to Islam as the guide to life in the modern world22. This is largely because of the offset of a large, devout and young generation of Muslims h as been paired with an authoritarian style of government. In Part 3 the Emerging Order of Civilizations, Huntington notes that during the Cold War, countries were either labelled as communist or non-communist.Now, countries who cannot easily identify themselves have entered into an identity crisis 23. Because of this, many new world-wide organizations (Ex the European Union, the North American bighearted Trade Agreement, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, etc). came together uniting nationstates under ballpark ancestry, religion, language, values, and institutions, and in doing so, distanced themselves from different nations who did not get by these characteristics 24. However, not all nations have been winning in identifying with one particular culture, Huntington states, referring to Mexico, Turkey, Russia, and Australia 25.These states, he says, could be described as tear countries26 countries which are torn between multiple cultural identities the tradition cult ural identity theyve held, and the new cultural identity they wish to adopt. A torn artless has a single predominant culture which places it in one civilization, but its leadership want to shift it to another civilization. They say, in effect, We are different peoples and belong in different places27. In Chapter 7 tenderness States, Concentric States, and Civilized Order, Huntington states that a small, powerful number of fondness states will be the centre of a new structure of civilizations.France and Germany are examples of these states in the European Union. He goes on to describe core states, the divide between Western Europe (Protestantism & Catholicism) and Eastern Europe (Orthodox Christianity & Islam), and the lack of a core state in Islam. In Part 4 Clashes of Civilizations (arguably the most strategic section of the book), Samuel Huntington predicts that In the emerging world, the traffic between states and groups from different civilizations will not be close, and w ill often be antagonistic. 28 He hypothesizes that the three principal roots of conflict will be arise from the interaction of the following 1. The assumption of the West 2. Islamic intolerance and 3. Sinic assertiveness 29. As the chapter progresses, Huntington states that Islam and Christianity have almost invariably been at odds with each other, and that the Islamic and Western civilizations will inevitably clash in the 21st century. There are a number of reasons for this, from the Muslim commonwealth growth placing large numbers of unemployed people and dissatis? ed youth in the work force of Islamic extremists to the West? attempt to generalise its values, culture, and military (thus generating intense resentment from Muslim communities), to an exaggerated view of differences between the two civilizations as a result of increase communication and interaction between them30 . Huntington notes that with the emergence of Asia and China? s developing economies has come an a ntagonistic traffichip with the United States31. He predicts that the combination of China? s development military with Asia? s growing parsimony could indeed result in an external con? ict. He also notes that the con? cts of the 21st century will be fought along fault lines (such as Islam vs. Christianity). He goes on to provide a key of fault line characteristics Communal conflicts between states or groups from different civilizations Almost incessantly between people of different religions extended duration Violent in disposition Identity wars (us vs. them), eventually breaks down to religious identity Encouraged and financed by Diaspora communities rage rarely ends permanently Propensity for stay is increased with third party discussion32 In the final Chapter of the book, Part 5 the Future of Civilizations, Huntington oncludes that the West needs to be prepared to accept the growing influence of rival civilizations, if it wants to remain a global political power. A s previously cited, Anthropologist Fethi Keeles was very critical of Huntingtons approach, in her piece published in the diary of Third earthly concern Studies. Quoting Edward Said, a braggy critic of Samuel Huntington, she noted What culture instantly whether Japanese, Arab, European, Korean, Chinese, or Indian has not had long, intimate, and extraordinarily rich contacts with other cultures? 33 She then accuses him of being indifferent to the complex genius of the multicultural world, and argues that in his compend he failed to address intra-cultural or civilizational variation34. However, Somali-born human rights activist and former Dutch MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali begs to differ. She argues that the greatest advantage of Huntingtons civilizational sit of international relations is that it reflects the world as it is not as one wishes it would be 35. The Clash of Civilizations, she states, is a classic that should be taught in every international relations and history class until a new world emerges. 36 No outcome what the readers background is, it is effortful to argue that the nations of the world are not facing any forms of international conflict in the early 21st century. Where many critics choose to differ is on the rationality of the origins of said international conflict, asking are the growing international conflicts truly cod to opposing civilizations, or are the issues solely ideological? Samuel Huntington says these conflicts are predominantly rooted in culture and religion, and that the 21st century will inevitably be a period characterized by the Clash of Civilizations.Bibliography Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of reality Order. New York Simon & Schuster, 1996. Print. Charron, Nicholas. Deja Vu on the whole Over Again A Post-Cold War Empirical Analysis of Samuel Huntingtons Clash of Civilizations Theory. Cooperation & bout 45. 1 (2010) 107-27. EBSCO Host. Web. Ali, Ayaan Hirsi. The Clash of Civil izations and the Remaking of arena Order. Foreign Affairs 89. 6 (2010) 198-99. EBSCO Host. Web. Perry, Glenn E. Huntington and His Critics the West and Islam. Arab Studies Quarterly 24. 1 (2001) 18. EBSCO Host.Web. In, Kang Jung. Confucianism and Democracy in East Asia A Critique of Samuel P. Huntingtons Third Wave. Korea Journal 39. 3 (1999) 315-37. Print. Hendrickson, Holly. confine Summary of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. Huntington. Beyond intractability More shaping Approaches to Destructive competitiveness. Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado. Web. Keeles, Fethi. The Antinomies of Samuel P. Huntington Some anthropological Reflections on the American Pundit. Journal of Third World Studies. 14. 2 (2007) 131-43. Print.Sullivan, Anthony T. Has Samuel Huntingtons Prediction father to Pass? Journal of the Historical edict 2. 2 (2002) 169-78. Print. Endnotes Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and t he Remaking of World Order. New York Simon & Schuster, 1996. Print. 1 2 3 4 Huntington 28. Huntington 45-46. Huntington had previously labelled this civilization as Confucian, in his 1993 Foreign Affairs article. He decided to use Sinic, as he felt Confucian teachings were not at the core of the civilization he was describing. (Huntington 199645) 5 6 7 8 9 Huntington 45. Huntington 47.Huntington 47. Huntington 47. Keeles, Fethi. The Antinomies of Samuel P. Huntington Some Anthropological Reflections on the American Pundit. Journal of Third World Studies. 14. 2 (2007) 131-43. Print. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Fethi 131. Fethi 142. Fethi 142. Fethi 142. Huntington 82-83. Huntington 82. Huntington 83-90. Huntington 90-91 Huntington 91. In, Kang Jung. Confucianism and Democracy in East Asia A Critique of Samuel P. Huntingtons Third Wave. Korea Journal 39. 3 (1999) 319. Print. 20 21 22 23 Huntington 308 308-310. Huntington 97. Huntington 110. Hendrickson, Holly. Book Summary of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. Huntington. Beyond Intractability More Constructive Approaches to Destructive Conflict. Conflict Research Consortium, University of Colorado. Web. 24 Huntington 126. 10 POLI 100 F10N01 Gabrielle Bishop 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Huntington 139. Huntington 138. Huntington 138. Huntington 183. Huntington 183. Huntington 211. Huntington 218. Hendrickson web. Keeles 143. Keeles 143. Ali, Ayaan Hirsi. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Foreign Affairs 89. 6 (2010) 198-99. EBSCO Host. Web. 36 Ali 99. 11