LILI Clash of Civilisations

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BOOK REVIEW PRESENTATION

BY FAIZAN AHMAD KHAN



y The book was written by Samuel P. Huntington.

y It is an extension of his article by the same namepublished in the journal Foreign Policy in 1992.

y Founder and co-editor of Foreign Policy.

y Huntington was Eaton Professor of Science andGovernment at Harvard.

y Has been adviser to Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter.

y

Died in December 2008, aged 81



The central theme behind this book is that cultureThe central theme behind this book is that cultureand cultural identities, which at the broadest level and cultural identities, which at the broadest level are civilization identities, are shaping the patternare civilization identities, are shaping the patternof cohesion, disintegration, and conflict in theof cohesion, disintegration, and conflict in the

post post--Cold War world.Cold War world.



Part I: A World of Civilizations

Part II: TheShifting Balanceof Civilizations

Part III: TheEmerging Orderof Civilizations

Part IV: Clashesof Civilizations

Part V: TheFuture of

Civilizations

The book has been divided into five parts:



y Eight major civilizations in the world, namely: Sinic, Japanese,Hindu, Western, Islamic, Orthodox, Latin American and African.

y The West cannot dictate its terms to other civilizations anymore,rather multidirectional interactions among civilizationsmultidirectional interactions among civilizations has been maintained.

y The author concludes that though the world is becoming moremodern, it is simultaneously becoming less Western.

y For example, Muslim countries are willingly adoptingmodernization as the key to progress but are still retaining their

own culture instead of following Western culture.



y Western power is declining, but at a very slow rate and is not animmediate threat to the world powers.

y Huntington emphasises the increased role and importance of religion in world politics. Religion is the central definingReligion is the central definingcharacteristic of civilisations.characteristic of civilisations.

y Islamic Resurgence is the result of high population growth and

failure of Muslim states to deliver economically and politically.

y Asian countries are able to resist Western pressure as they areeconomically and militarily stable and no more reliant on Western help.



y Identity crisis in the post Cold War world as countries relinquishtheir identities of being either aligned or non-aligned.

y Who are we? Where do we belong?

yy Countries started rallying to those (cultures) with similar Countries started rallying to those (cultures) with similar ancestry, religion, values, language and institutions and ancestry, religion, values, language and institutions and distance themselves from those with different ones. distance themselves from those with different ones.

y Countries are increasingly flocking towards other states whichshare the same culture and are circling around a small number of powerful core states.

y Islamic civilization lacks a core state and is the main reason why Muslim societies have not effectively progressed.



y Huntington expects a grouping between Islamic and Siniccivilizations to work against the West.

y Major reason for clash of civilizations is that the West continuesto believe in the supremacy and universality of its culture.

y The Western-Islamic clash would represent one of the bloodiestconflicts of the 21st Century.

y Economic development in Asia and China has resulted in a

hostile relationship with America.

y The author defines the Afghan War and the Gulf War as theemergence of civilisational wars. The Gulf War was interpretedas a war of Us vs. Them, i.e. Islam vs. Christianity.



y Discusses the challenges faced by Western Civilisation.

y External challenges include the emerging cultural identities in

the non-Western world.

y Internal challenges include the erosion of values, morals andbeliefs within Western culture.

y The West will need to adapt to increasing power and inf luence of different civilisations to remain a global political power.



yy The futures of both peace and civilisation

The futures of both peace and civilisationdepend upon understanding and cooperationdepend upon understanding and cooperation

among the political, spiritual and intellectual among the political, spiritual and intellectual leaders of the worlds major leaders of the worlds major civilisationscivilisations. .



y Does not explain the reason for animosity between

countries belonging to the same civilization.

y Values are disseminated and altered more easily thanHuntington envisions. Democracy is a Western

phenomena but is practised in the East as well.



y Complex sentences that make it difficult to understand what theauthor wants to say.

y Author presents his thesis through factual and historical detail which can sometimes be too difficult to understand.

y Difficult to understand for those who do not have backgroundknowledge on Cold War era.

y Recommended for students of International Relations andHistory only

y Covers a vast range of topics which are relevant today, for

example the tensions between the West and Islam.



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LILI Clash of Civilisations