SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Samuel Huntington was an
American Political Scientist and
academic.
Born in 1927; died in 2008.
His most influential works were
‘The Clash of Civilizations?’, an
article published in 1993, which
was further developed in the book
The Clash of Civilizations,
published in 1996.
(Unless otherwise stated, all
quotes in this presentation come
from the article)
HUNTINGTON’S HYPOTHESIS
“It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological
or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict
will be cultural. Nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal
conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of
civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the
future.”
WHAT IS A ‘CIVILISATION’?
Westerner
Christian
Australian
Victorian
Melbournian
Brightonite
Leonardian
CIVILIZATIONi.e. THE BROADEST
LEVEL OF IDENTITY
YOU
WHAT IS A ‘CIVILISATION’?
“A civilization is…the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural
identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species.
It is defined both by common objective elements, such as language, history, religion,
customs, institutions, and by the subjective self-identification of people.”
RECENT CONFLICTS
Sudan Civil
War
Boko Haram
Insurgency
Somalia
Ukraine
India/
Pakistan
China/Tibet
Arab Israeli
Conflict
Balkans
Conflict
Donald
Trump
South China
Sea
Chechen
Conflict
North Korea
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
“The most important conflicts of
the future will occur along the
cultural fault lines separating these
civilizations from one another.”
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
REASON 1: BASIC DIFFERENCES
“…differences between civilizations are…basic. Civilizations are differentiated from each other by
history, language, culture, tradition and, most important, religion.”
These are big differences: “different views on the relations between God and man, the individual and the group, the citizen and the state, parents and children, husband and wife, as well as
differing views of the relative importance of rights and responsibilities, liberty and authority, equality and hierarchy.”
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
REASON 2: THE WORLD GETS SMALLER
“…the world is becoming a smaller place. The interactions between peoples of different
civilisations are increasing; these increasing interactions intensify civilization consciousness
and awareness of the differences between civilizations.
…The interactions among peoples of different civilizations enhance the civilization-consciousness of people that, in turn, invigorates differences and animosities stretching or thought to
stretch back deep into history.”
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
REASON 3: RISE OF RELIGION
“…the processes of economic modernization and social change throughout the world are separating
people from longstanding local identities. They also weaken the nation state as a source of identity. In much of the world religion has moved in to fill
this gap, often in the form of movements that are labelled ‘fundamentalist’.
…The revival of religion…provides a basis for identity …that transcends national boundaries and
unites civilizations.”
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
REASON 4: THE WEST
“…the growth of civilization-consciousness is
enhanced by the dual role of the West. On the
one hand, the West is at a peak of power. At
the same time, however, and perhaps as a result,
a return to the roots phenomenon is
occurring among non-Western civilizations.”
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
REASON 5: CULTURE ISN’T CHANGEABLE
“…cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and
resolved than political and economic ones. In the former Soviet Union, communists can become democrats, the rich can become poor and the poor rich, but Russians cannot become Estonians and Azeris cannot become
Armenians.
In class and ideological conflicts, the key question was "Which side are you on?" and people could and did choose sides and change sides. In conflicts between
civilizations, the question is "What are you?"”
CIVILISATION AND CONFLICT
REASON 6: ECONOMIC REGIONALISM
“…economic regionalism is increasing.
…The importance of regional economic
blocs is likely to continue to increase in the
future. On the one hand, successful economic
regionalism will reinforce civilization-
consciousness. On the other hand, economic
regionalism may succeed only when it is
rooted in a common civilization.”
TO SUMMARISE…THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS EXISTS BECAUSE:
1. The differences between civilisations are fundamental and often incompatible.
2. There are more and more interactions between civilizations, which makes us more aware of differences and drives us to seek out similarities.
3. Religion, not nationality, is now the main driver of identity, and as religion transcends national borders, so too does identity.
4. The West is at the peak of its power, giving it a huge reach. However, non-Western civilizations, now free of colonialism, are returning to the “roots” of their culture.
5. Culture, religion and ethnic identity cannot be changed as easily as political or economic ideology.
6. Economic regionalism creates stronger links between countries with similar cultures.
THE WEST VS THE NON-WEST
Huntington argues that most conflicts occur between Western and non-Western civilisations. This is because the West “is now at an extraordinary peak of power in relation to other civilizations”.
The West tends to view itself as a “universal civilization”, and ignores the fact that “Western concepts differ fundamentally from those prevalent in other civilizations”.
However, other non-Western countries and civilisations are increasingly gaining the power the shape the world in non-Western ways.
THE WEST VS THE NON-WEST
When confronted by the West, non-Western
countries have three ways they can respond:
1. Try to isolate
themselves (which is
difficult – e.g. North
Korea)
2. Accept Western
culture (jump on the
“band wagon” – e.g.
Turkey, a “torn
country”)
3. Develop
economic and
military power and
cooperate with non-
western countries
(i.e. “modernise but
not westernise”)
THE RISE OF THE NON-WEST
“With the end of the Cold War, international
politics…becomes the interaction between the West and
non-Western civilizations and among non-Western
civilizations. In the politics of civilizations, the peoples
and governments of non-Western civilizations no
longer remain…targets of Western colonialism but
join the West as movers and shapers of history.”
ISLAM AND THE WEST
“In Eurasia the great historic fault lines between civilizations are once more aflame. This is
particularly true along the boundaries of the crescent-shaped Islamic bloc of nations from the bulge of Africa
to central Asia…Islam has bloody borders.”
“The West’s next confrontation is definitely going to come from the Muslim world.”
WHY IS WEST SO ‘SUPERIOR’?
“The West won the world not by the
superiority of its ideas or values or
religion...but rather by its
superiority in applying organized
violence. Westerners often forget
this fact; non-Westerners never do.”
IS THERE A SOLUTION?
FOR THE CIVILISATION
“Multiculturalism at home threatens
the United States and the
West…The domestic
multiculturalists want to make
America like the world. A
multicultural America is impossible
because a non-Western America is
not American…The preservation of
the United States and the West
requires the renewal of Western
identity.”
FOR THE WORLD
“…universalism abroad threatens
the West and the World. ... The
global monoculturalists want to
make the world like America…A
multicultural world is unavoidable
because global empire is
impossible…The security of the
world requires acceptance of global
multiculturalism.”