SAMUEL HUNTINGTON

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.”

THE CIVILIZATIONS

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.”

GOING FURTHER:

THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS (1996)

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.”