● Huntington’s hypothesis: the fundamental source of conflict in the new world will not
be primarily ideological or primarily economic
○ The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict
will be cultural
● The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics
● The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future
The nature of civilizations
● A civilization= 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
Why civilizations will clash
● 1. Civilizations are differentiated from each other by history, Ianguage, culture,
tradition and, most important, religion
● 2. The interactions between peoples of different civilizations are increasing; these
increasing interactions intensify civilization consciousness and awareness of
differences between civilizations and commonalities within civilizations
● 3. 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
● 4. 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
● 5. Cultural characteristics and differences are less mutable and hence less easily
compromised and resolved than political and economic ones
● 6. Economic regionalism is increasing
● So the clash of civilizations occurs at two levels:
○ micro: adjacent groups along the fault lines between civilizations struggle,
often violently, over the control of territory and each other
○ macro: states from different civilizations compete for relative military and
economic power, struggle over the control of international institutions and
third parties, and competitively promote their particular political and religious
values
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller scottishunicorn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $0.00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.