The Clash of Civilizations

The clash of civilizations is a controversial theory in international relations. It was formulated in an article by Samuel P. Huntington entitled “The Clash of Civilizations” published in the American journal Foreign Affairs in 1993. The itself was first used by Bernard Lewis in the September 1990 issue of The Atlantic Monthly entitled “The Roots of Muslim Rage.” Huntington later stretched his thesis in1996 book The Clash of Civilization and Remaking of world Order.

Huntington’s “The Clash of Civilizations”

Huntington began his thinking by surveying the diverse thinking about the nature of global politics in the post –Cold War period. Some theorists and writers argued the liberal democracy and Western values had become the only remaining ideological alternative or the world had reached the end of history in a Hegelian sense. Huntington assumed that while the age of ideology had ended the world had only reverted to a normal state of affairs characterized by cultural conflict. In the article, he argued that the primary axis of conflict in the 21^st century would be along cultural and religious lines. As an extension, he posted that the concept of different civilizations, as the highest ranking of cultural identity, would increasingly become useful in analyzing the potential for conflict.

Due to an  enormous response and solidification of his views, Huntington later expanded the thesis in his 1996 book The Clash of Civilization and Remaking of World Order.

Using various studies of history, but of course making certain decisions. Huntington divided the civilizations as such:

Ø  Western Christendom, centered on Europe and North America but also including Australia and New Zealand. Whether Latin America and the former member states of the Soviet Union are included , or are instead their own separate civilization, will be an important future consideration for those areas, according to Huntington.

Ø  The Orthodox world of Orthodox and/or Salvic eastern Europe and Russia.

Ø  Latin America

Ø  The Muslim world of the South Asia, North Africa, Middle East, , Malaysia Indonesia

Ø  The Hindu civilization, located chiefly in India, Nepal, and adhered by the global Non-resident Indian and person of Indian Origin

Ø  The Sinic civilization of China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore

Ø  Sub-Saharan Africa

Ø  The Buddhist areas of Northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Buryatia, Thailand,Myanmar, Cambodia, Tibet and Laos

Ø  Japan, considered an independent civilization

Huntington argued that the trends of global conflict were increasingly appearing at these civilzational divisions. Wars such as those following the divide of Yugoslavia, in Chechnya, and between Pakistan and India were cited as evidence of intercivilizational and universal norms would only further antagonize other civilizations.