clash of civilizations
An Analysis of the "Clash of Civilizations" Theory
Introduction of Government Course B.A Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya International Program
X
12/12/2013
Introduction
Humans have an unquenchable appetite for power and this inherent flaw of the human race is locking humanity in an eternal struggle among itself. After millions of years of astounding human progress and advancement in almost all aspects of life, this rule remains true. Despite all the "Enlightenments", people are still as power hungry and war mongering as they ever were, just in a different context (Bramhall, 2011). Samuel P. Huntington discusses the nature of this endless conflict in his book "Clash of Civilizations" (1996), where he argues that the end of the Cold War will not bring an era of peace among nations, but rather shift the focus from a battle of ideologies to a battle of civilizations. This conflict will supersede the classic struggle between nation states and fundamentally redefine the characteristics of 21st century international engagements (Hague and Harrop, 2010).
Theory Definition
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term civilization describes "the stage of human social development and organization which is considered most advanced." Huntington 's definition of civilization, however, is quite different from the original meaning. In his book, he defines civilizations as cross-national societies that share cultural kinships and a broad level of common identity, usually in a certain cultural region (Hague and Harrop, 2010). By grouping different nations together and referring to civilization as a massive cultural identity, he attempts to prove that civilizations will be the key players in the future of international politics. Huntington uses the terms culture and civilization interchangeably, arguing that they are practically the same in the long run, and that somewhat different cultures
Introduction of Government Course B.A Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya International Program
X
12/12/2013
Introduction
Humans have an unquenchable appetite for power and this inherent flaw of the human race is locking humanity in an eternal struggle among itself. After millions of years of astounding human progress and advancement in almost all aspects of life, this rule remains true. Despite all the "Enlightenments", people are still as power hungry and war mongering as they ever were, just in a different context (Bramhall, 2011). Samuel P. Huntington discusses the nature of this endless conflict in his book "Clash of Civilizations" (1996), where he argues that the end of the Cold War will not bring an era of peace among nations, but rather shift the focus from a battle of ideologies to a battle of civilizations. This conflict will supersede the classic struggle between nation states and fundamentally redefine the characteristics of 21st century international engagements (Hague and Harrop, 2010).
Theory Definition
According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term civilization describes "the stage of human social development and organization which is considered most advanced." Huntington 's definition of civilization, however, is quite different from the original meaning. In his book, he defines civilizations as cross-national societies that share cultural kinships and a broad level of common identity, usually in a certain cultural region (Hague and Harrop, 2010). By grouping different nations together and referring to civilization as a massive cultural identity, he attempts to prove that civilizations will be the key players in the future of international politics. Huntington uses the terms culture and civilization interchangeably, arguing that they are practically the same in the long run, and that somewhat different cultures
Bibliography: Bramhall, D. S. (2011, June 24). Is Human Nature Flawed? Retrieved December 07, 2013, from Open Salon: http://open.salon.com/blog/stuartbramhall/2011/06/24/is_human_nature_flawed Chiozza, G Hague and Harrop. (2010). Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan. Sen, A. (1999). Democracy as a Universal Value . Journal of Democracy , 3-17 . Swan, D. (2010, July 20). A criticism of Huntington 's "Clash of Civilizations". Retrieved December 07, 2013, from Academica.edu: https://www.academia.edu/1416654/A_Criticism_of_Huntingtons_Clash_of_Civilizations_ UNAOC Annex 2 – Map presenting the world 's separation to civilization entities as described by Huntington in his book "Clash of Civilizations" (1996).