the clash of civilizations

SAMUEL P. HUNGTINTON

THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONSAND THE REMARKING OF WORLD ORDER

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I. THE NEXT PATTERN OF CONFLICTII. THE NATURE OF CIVILIZATIONSIII. WHY CIVILIZATIONS WILL CLASHIV. THE FAULT LINES BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONSV. CIVILIZATION RALLYINGVI. THE WEST VERSUS THE RESTVII. THE TORN COUNTRIESVIII. THE CONFUCIAN-ISLAMIC CONNECTIONIX. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WEST

OVERVIEWHypothetically, Huntington believes that “the

fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great division among humankind and dominating source of conflict will be cultural…The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future”

The clash of Civilizations according to S. Huntington (1996), as presented in the book.

Civilizations and HistoryIn this view, contemporary civilizations

represent the product of a long process of ‘identity formation’

It is the incompatibility between these core values that will produce inevitable conflict between different civilizations

While from a contemporary perspective this may seem like a new phenomenon, it is actually a reversion to a previous period of history

Read in this fashion, the “clash of civilizations” represents the closing of a parenthesis in world history.

CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONDEFINATION - People’s cultural and religious

identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-cold war world.

The Next Pattern of ConflictIn the Huntington hypothesis that the

fundamental sources of conflict of in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic.

The great division among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural.

The principal conflict of global politics will occur between nation and group of civilization.

THE NATURE OF CIVILIZATIONAccording to the Huntington during the

Cold War was divided into first, second, and third world, but those division are no longer relevant.

A civilization is a culture entity. Villages, region, ethnic group, nationalities, religious group, all have distinct cultures at different level of culture heterogeneity.

WHY CIVILIZATION WILL CLASHAccording to the Huntington the world

will shaped in large measure by the interactions among seven or eight major civilizations.

- western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American, and possibly African civilization.

Have six reasons:

First, differences among civilization are not only real.

-civilization are differentiated from each other by history, language, culture, tradition, and most important, religion.

-They are far more fundamental that differences among political ideologies and political regimes.

-Differences do not necessarily mean conflict, and conflict does not necessarily mean violence. Over the centuries, however, differences among civilizations have generated the most prolonged and the most violent conflicts.

Conti…Second, the world becoming smaller place.

-The interaction between peoples of different civilization are increasing. These increasing interaction intensity civilization-consciousness and awareness of differences between civilization and commonalities within civilization.

In turn, invigorates differences and animosities stretching or thought to stretch back deep into history.

Conti..Third, the processes of economic

modernization and social change throughout the world are separating people from longstanding local identities. - such movements are found in Western Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as in Islam.

Forth, the growth of civilization-consciousness is enhanced by the dual role of the west.

-The west is at peak and power.

-At the same time, however and perhaps as a result, a return to the roots phenomenon is occurring among non-Western civilization. Increasing one hears references to trends toward a turning inward and “Asianization”, in Japan, the end of the Nehru legacy, and the “Hindunization” of India, the failure of Western idea of socialism and nationalism and hence “re-Islamization”, of the Middle East.

Firth, cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily compromised and resolved that political and economic. -In class and ideological conflict, key question was “which side are you on” but in conflict between civilization is “what are you”. That given that cannot be changed.

Finally, economic regionalism is increasing.

The importance of regional economic blocs is like to continue to increase in future.

The success of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) depends on the convergence now underway of Mexican, Canadian, and American cultures.

Successful economic regionalism will reinforce civilization-consciousness.

The clash of civilization thus occur at two level which is micro-level, and macro-level.-micro-level, adjacent group along the fault lines between civilization struggle, often violently, over the control of territory and each other. -macro-level, states from different civilization compete for relative military and economic power, struggle over the control of international institution, and third parties, and competitively promote their particular political and religious values.

The “kin-country syndrome”Groups or states belonging to one

civilization that become involved in a war with people from different civilization naturally try to rally support from others of their own civilization.

Examples , the Gulf War, the former Soviet Union in the Caucasus, and Yugoslavia.

In the gulf war one Arab state invaded another and the fought a coalition of Arab, western and other states.

The Islamist fundamentalist universally support Iraq than the western backed governemnet (kuwait and Saudi Arabia).

The kin-country syndrome also appeared in conflicts in the former soviet union.

Armenian military successes in 1992 and 1993 stimulated turkey to become increasing supportive of its religious, ethnic and linguistics brethren in Azerbaijan.

With respect to the fighting with former yogoslavia, the Irannian leaders urged muslims from all countries to provide help to bosnia.

Iranian-supported Lebanese groups sent guerrillas to train and organize the Bosnian forces.

As the conflicts in the Persian Gulf, the Caucasus and Bosnia continued, the positions of nations and the cleavages between them increasingly were along civilizational lines.

Greater line thickness represents more conflict in the civilization relationship

The West versus the Rest?

The West Versus the rest is about “ the world community” and the “free world” , according to Huntington, a thin veneer for the domination of global affairs by western interests.

The West sees its values as universalist (meaning that they are applicable to everyone, irrespective of civilization). International institutions based on these values are merely tools for maintaining and promoting western values and domination.

The west is now at an extraordinary peak of power in relation to other civilizations.

Decisions made at the U.N. Security Council or in the International Monetary Fund that reflect the interests of the West are presented to the world as reflecting the desires of the world community.

The west in effect is using international institutions, military power and economics resources to run the world in that ways that will:

-Western predominant -Western interests -Western political and economics values

THE TORN COUNTRIES

TORN CONTRY- Some other countries have a fair degree of cultural homogeneity but are divided over whether their society belongs to one civilization or another.

Their leaders typically wish to pursue a bandwagoning strategy and to make their countries members of west, but the history, culture, and traditions of their countries are non-western.

THREE REQUIREMENT FOR A TORN COUNTRY

Its political and economic elite has to be generally supportive of and enthusiastic about this move.

Its public has to be willing to acquiesce in the redefinition.

The dominant groups in the recipient civilization have to be willing to embrace the convert.

Example Torn Country

Turkey at Europe are the most profoundly Torn Country

Mexico at North American are the most immediate Torn Country.

Why Russian so difficultly joining the West?

- Because the conflict between liberal democracy and Marxism-Leninism was between ideologies which like ultimate goal of freedom, equality and prosperity.

THE CONFUCIAN-ISLAMIC CONNECTION

The obstacles to non-western countries joining the west is- their countries culture and power do not wish to, or cannot, join the West compete with the west by developing their own economic, military, and political power.

The most prominent form of the cooperation is the Confucian- Islamic connection that has emerged to challenge Western interests, values , and power.

THE CONFUCIAN-ISLAMIC STATES VS WESTERN COUNTRIES

In the post-Cold War world the primary objective of arms control to prevent the development by non-Western societies of military capabilities that could threaten Western interests.

The West attempts to do this through international agreements, economic pressure, and controls on the transfer of arms and weapon technologies.

But in this new form of arms competition, one side is developing its arms and other side is attempting not to balance but to limit and prevent that arms buildup.

The non-Western nation like China, North Korea and several Middle Eastern states, increase expanding their military capabilities

They acquire and to deploy whatever weapons they think necessary for their security.

Example: China in 1992, tested a one-megaton nuclear device.

A Confucian-Islamic military connection has thus come into being, designed to promote acquisition by its members of the weapons and weapons technology needed to counter the military power of the west.

Example: China has sold to Iran nuclear technology.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WEST

The implication has been divided between a) Short-term advantage

b) Long-term accommodationa)Short-term advantage - promote greater cooperation and unity

within its own civilization, particularly between its European and North American components

- to promote and maintain cooperative relations with Russia and Japan.

- to prevent escalation to local inter-civilization conflicts into major inter-civilization wars.

- to incorporate into West societies in Eastern Europe and North American components .

- to limit the expansion of military strength of Confucian and Islamic states

- to moderate the reduction of Western military capabilities and maintain military superiority in East and Southwest Asia.

- To exploit differences and conflicts among Confucian and Islamic states

- To support in other civilizations groups sympathetic to Western values and interests.

- To strengthen international institutions that reflect and legitimate Western interests and values

- To promote the involvement of non-Western states in those institutions.

b) Long-term accommodation - Western civilization is both Western and

modern. Non-Western civilization have attempted to become modern without becoming Western.

- The West will increasingly have to accommodate those non-Western modern civilization whose power approaches that of the West but whose values and interests differ significantly from those of the West. This will require the West to maintain the economic and military power necessary to protect its interests in relation to these civilization.

Critiques of Clash of CivilizationsSome events challenge itUnclear how to distinguish civilizationsGlobalization can lead to convergence and

synthesis of culturesNot all cultures aspire to imperial powerOverstates West’s declineExaggerates Islam’s militancyMajor conflicts within civilizationsEconomic cooperation across civilizationsLack of democratic institutions is real problem in

Islamic world

GUESS WHO?

Clash of civilizations?

The attack was Osama bin Laden's attempt to draw the U.S. and the West into a full-fledged clash of civilizations with Islam.

Summary of ArgumentNation states will not disappearCivilizations not coherent or conflict-freeBut differences among civilizations real Civilization-consciousness growingCivilization conflict will be dominant

global form of conflictMajor axis of relations between “West and

Rest”No universal civilization possible

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