The Clash of Civilizations?Samuel Huntington

Huntington’s Civilizations

Clash of Civilizations Major Thesis

Huntington’s Proposals

Amartya Sen Critique

• Morally offensive and destructive– Simplified: Culture is much more than religion-

we are multi-dimensional.– Classification supercedes the possibility that we

chose our own identities– Stereotyping is morally gross– Classification is divisive

Amartya Sen Critique of Huntington

• Politically Destructive: – If we chose our own identifications we can

make political associations based on different identities

• Pakistan/Bangladesh

• Poverty

– We also might chose to make ethical, not identity based associations

Amartya Sen Critique of Huntington

• Ignores diversity of traditions within “civilizations”– Muslims and other traditions in India

• “Western” appropriation of tolerance ignore diversity of this cultural trait

• Ignores major global interactions in science, technology, mathematics and literature over past millenia

Amartya Sen Critique of Huntington

Amartya Sen Critique of Huntington

• Far reaching effects:– Gives exaggerated commanding voice to religious

leaders

– Causes self-identification of non-western world as “the other” at the expense of freedom to chose among many identities

– Focuses on what divides v. what unites; fuels alienation

– Interferes with positive work of identifying solutions to inqualities without losing technological and economic opportunities

McWorld v. Jihad

Benjamin Barber

Elements of McWorld

Elements of Jihad