Clash of Civilizations - Samuel Huntington (1996)

• Samuel P. Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" (1996) explores global politics in the post-Cold War era.
• The book is comprised of five sections addressing cultural and civilizational identities as primary sources of conflict in the 21st century.

Key Aspects of Huntington's Book

• Civilizations are described as key players on the world stage.
• The book explores the decline of the West and its impact.
• It examines "fault line conflicts" occurring between civilizations.
• The book contrasts the West and the rest of the world.
• It discusses the future of the global order in light of civilizational clashes.

Definition of Civilization

• Civilization is defined as the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity.
• Civilizations are defined by common language, history, religion, customs, institutions, and self-identification.
• They are enduring and stable entities over extended periods.

Major Civilizations Identified by Huntington

• Sinic: China and Chinese communities in Southeast Asia
• Japanese: Distinct from other Asian cultures
• Hindu: Centered in India
• Islamic: Originating in the Arabian Peninsula, spread across North Africa and Central Asia, with Arab, Turkic, Persian, and Malay subdivisions
• Orthodox: Centered in Russia, separate from Western Christendom
• Western: Europe and North America
• Latin American: Central and South America, characterized by a corporatist, authoritarian past and Catholic majority
• African: Increasingly developing a sense of shared identity, though lacking a pan-African identity

Huntington’s Central Thesis

• The primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world will be cultural, not ideological or economic.
• Conflicts will occur along the cultural and religious fault lines between civilizations.
• The relationship between the Western and Islamic civilizations is particularly prone to conflict.

Implications of Huntington’s Thesis

• Countries will align themselves with civilizations rather than ideologies or economic systems.
• The West's dominance is declining as non-Western civilizations reassert their cultural identities.
• The West should avoid imposing its values on other civilizations and recognize the shifting global landscape.
• Huntington’s thesis has been criticized for potentially exacerbating divisions by framing conflicts as inevitable.
• The "clash of civilizations" thesis offers a framework for understanding post-Cold War global politics but is debated for its cultural determinism.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Huntington’s Thesis

• A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that causes itself to become true by altering people's behavior.
• Huntington's thesis can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if the involved parties believe in the inevitable clash and act accordingly.

Steps in the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

• Extremist Islamic groups initially fueled hatred towards the West, making the conflict appear as a clash between Islam and the West.
• Extremist groups attack Western nations, citing fears that Western civilization threatens Islam.
• Extremist Islamic groups portray the conflict as inevitable and rational, using Huntington's thesis as justification.
• With reports like "ISIS is Islamic," extremist groups are seen as representative of the Islamic civilization.
• Extremist Islamic groups recruit more Muslims by arguing that the West is at war with Islam, citing US policies.
• Actions such as drone strikes and Western attacks on mosques aid ISIS in recruitment.
• As more Muslims engage in the conflict and the West retaliates, atrocities escalate in both the West and the Middle East.

Wright (2015) and the "Clash of Civilizations"

• Wright's 2015 article critiques the "clash of civilizations" narrative, arguing it oversimplifies complex issues and risks exacerbating conflicts.
• The article calls for a nuanced understanding of global politics that considers the multifaceted nature of cultural and religious identities.

Context of Wright's Article

• In 2015, there was intense conflict and fear between ISIS and the West, with significant geopolitical ramifications.
• The conflict's roots lie in the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring, and the Syrian Civil War, which facilitated ISIS's rise.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi led the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
• In June 2014, he declared a caliphate in ISIS-controlled territories and proclaimed himself the caliph.
• Under al-Baghdadi's leadership, ISIS committed numerous atrocities and expanded its control in Iraq and Syria. Wright opposes Huntington's thesis.

Main Thesis of Wright's Article

• Wright’s article warns that promoting the claim that “The West is at war with Islam” is dangerous as it helps extremist groups with recruitment and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

Perspectives on Islam and the West

• Roger Cohen: Argues that the West has been at war or near war with the Muslim world.
• Graeme Wood: Considers ISIS to be very Islamic, suggesting that the West is at war with Islam through its conflict with ISIS.
• Robert Wright: Offers a critical perspective, arguing against the idea that the West is at war with Islam, as it benefits extremist groups and creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.