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The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
This incisive, international bestselling exploration of the conflicts that have erupted since the fall of communism offers a provocative portrait of a future world driven not by ideologies or economics, but by ethnicity, religion, and other cultural forces. "Dazzling in its scope and grasp of the intricacies of contemporary global politics".--"The Wall Stree...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
May 31st 2007
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 1996)
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This is a masterpiece of scare mongering, not recommended for the faint of heart. Sage Huntington can make you groan inside: omg, tomorrow there will be a massive conspiracy between the democracy-hating Sinic and Islamic civilizations (whatever that means) to destroy our democracy, civilized society and freedom and push us back to the Dark Ages. Don’t you see how they’ve already started infiltrating the US government with an African Muslim communist called Obama? And hapless America will heroica...more
"Clash of Civilizations" is an easy book to misread. Many have taken Huntington to task because he pessimistically forecasted a world of discord following the Cold War. The headlines of the past decade beg to differ.
The world according to Samuel Huntington was going to reset to its multi-polar default setting, each pole being the center of a culture/religion/ethnicity that had always existed in world history. The border regions between these centers were going to be fraught ...more
The world according to Samuel Huntington was going to reset to its multi-polar default setting, each pole being the center of a culture/religion/ethnicity that had always existed in world history. The border regions between these centers were going to be fraught ...more
A pretty decent book. I enjoyed it and his thesis was intriguing though a little simplistic and not entirely original. We as westerners sure do have an obsession with breaking everything down into nice little neat packages so they can be better classified and studied. That is both the strength and weakness of this book. If only cultures and civilizations were so easy to just lump people together under one stereotype wow that would make the world much more predictable than it is. Alas the wo...more
Politik identitas etnis dan agama yang menjadi tren 10 tahun reformasi, nampaknya telah diramalkan HUntington sedari runtuhnya Blok Timur, Uni Soviet. Masa-masa perang antarnegara demi ide-ide besar telah usai, digantikan benturan antarmasyarakat berdasarkan identitas budaya, agama, dan etnis.
Jacob Aitken
added it
should have picked up Huntingdon's work earlier. It is awesome. He argues (or at least the structure of his thought necessarily suggests such) that the utopian vision of liberal democracy (whether right or left-wing) has failed miserably and that societies will revert back to their original civilizational paradigms.
By that he doesn't mean that societies will simply turn back the clock. Rather, the civilizations from which nation-states emerged have a stronger pull upon the states that some post-...more
By that he doesn't mean that societies will simply turn back the clock. Rather, the civilizations from which nation-states emerged have a stronger pull upon the states that some post-...more
There is no doubt that this is a must-read if you are interested in global politics. That does not mean that I think the book is right. Quite the contrary, I think the book is dangerously oversimplifying the current situation in world politics and trying to shoe-horn world events into a seductively simple-looking world view that, although advertised as a new paradigm, looks suspiciously like the cold-war paradigm on steroids. Since the human mind often prefers such simple explanations over more ...more
Considérant que l'on avait tellement parlé de ce livre que l'on avait finit par oublié de le lire, je me suis lancé dans les 500 pages de son édition en poche (Odile Jacob).
Ecrit il y a 14 ans déjà, "Le choc des civilisation" est un livre capital pour comprendre le début du XXIe siècle, car il a profondément influé - c'est indéniable - la nature des relations internationales depuis la fin de la guerre froide, tant par l'adhésion parfois caricaturale qu'il a généré chez certains ou le r...more
Ecrit il y a 14 ans déjà, "Le choc des civilisation" est un livre capital pour comprendre le début du XXIe siècle, car il a profondément influé - c'est indéniable - la nature des relations internationales depuis la fin de la guerre froide, tant par l'adhésion parfois caricaturale qu'il a généré chez certains ou le r...more
The book is definitely worth reading because it kind of clarifies some motives behind US foreign policy.
Contains some very clever ideas and interesting research and statistics, but I was kind of repelled throughout the whole book by the main paradigm of an inevitable civilization clash. Also Huntington is pretending to present his ideas objectively, but this is not true - he is speaks as an advocate of western domination and is not giving suggestions to avoid the conflict, but rather prepare to...more
Contains some very clever ideas and interesting research and statistics, but I was kind of repelled throughout the whole book by the main paradigm of an inevitable civilization clash. Also Huntington is pretending to present his ideas objectively, but this is not true - he is speaks as an advocate of western domination and is not giving suggestions to avoid the conflict, but rather prepare to...more
This book, and others like it (such as Said's Orientalism) draws such broad and sweeping conclusions about subjects so complex and unquantifiable (international relations, human history), that it is condemned to trip over its own oversimplifications, questionable veracity, and leaps of logic in the course of presenting its thesis. That being said, there is a kernel of truth underlying many of the observations in Huntington's book, i.e., the logical progression of a universalist Weltanschauung to...more
Huntingtons key claim is that the significant clashes of the future will arise from the interaction of Western arrogance, Islamic intolerance and Sinic assertiveness (many current events jump to mind as examples).
Civilisations supposedly go through a recurring process of emergence, rise and decline. People everywhere will increasingly define society in terms of culture as opposed to a uniting political creed - his predictions do not bode well for the US.
Ultimately, differen...more
Civilisations supposedly go through a recurring process of emergence, rise and decline. People everywhere will increasingly define society in terms of culture as opposed to a uniting political creed - his predictions do not bode well for the US.
Ultimately, differen...more
Michael
rated it
Recommends it for:
Political scientists, political buffs, history students
Recommended to Michael by:
David Johnson
Shelves:
politics,
popular-history
This is one of the founding texts of neo-conservatism, but it shouldn't be lightly dismissed as an ideological argument devoid of facts or scholarship. Huntington is, as Henry Kissinger reminds us on the back cover of my edition, an "eminent political scientist," who has done his homework and looked seriously at the post-Cold War world to consider what challenges the new world situation presented a dominant America just after the fall of the Soviet Union. He concluded that old politica...more
Huntington's widely acclaimed and referenced work which contends that the world's major concern is not contention between nation, but between civilizations (or, cultures). First published in 1996, it was somewhat controversial, but now his thesis has wide acceptance, at least in general terms. Like many books of this type,
it was based on an article (in this case, in Foreign Affairs in 1993), and it could have been much shorter. Still, it's well-researched and comprehensive.
...more
it was based on an article (in this case, in Foreign Affairs in 1993), and it could have been much shorter. Still, it's well-researched and comprehensive.
...more
The thesis was so simple it was as if I had always believed it but I was unfair to take credit for assuming the simplicity was something that I had synthesized prior to reading the book.
Huntington, clarifies what seems so obvious. That the world clusters by civilizational boundaries. People tend to fight with or against one another based upon multiple cultural factors that make up one's civilizational heritage rather than superficial borders created by a nation state. Thus, Demo...more
Huntington, clarifies what seems so obvious. That the world clusters by civilizational boundaries. People tend to fight with or against one another based upon multiple cultural factors that make up one's civilizational heritage rather than superficial borders created by a nation state. Thus, Demo...more
Huntington challenged my thinking on several issues:
1. Culture at the macro, or "civilizational" level plays a fundamental role in global politics - including conflict. In fact, it plays a more enduring role than ideology.
2. Western culture isn't necessarily destined to become universal (I admit that I believed - and still do sometimes - otherwise), in fact, Western civilization is in fact in decline based on several measures such as population, wealth, political, an...more
1. Culture at the macro, or "civilizational" level plays a fundamental role in global politics - including conflict. In fact, it plays a more enduring role than ideology.
2. Western culture isn't necessarily destined to become universal (I admit that I believed - and still do sometimes - otherwise), in fact, Western civilization is in fact in decline based on several measures such as population, wealth, political, an...more
كتاب صدام الحضارات ن الكتاب الذي أشعل الجدل و لم يطفئه .
و سبب إهتمامي بهذا الكتاب ، هو ما قادني أن أعمل بحث بعشرين صفحة عن محتواه لمادة التاريخ في المدرسة .
كتاب كتبه أحد رجالات المحافظين الجدد و أحد رسامين الإستراتيجية الأميركية في العشرين عاما الماضية.
تحدث هنتغتون عن الكثير من المواضيع ، إذ تحدث عن طبيعة العلاقة بين الحضارات و موقفها حاضرا و شكلها مستقبلا.
لا أستغرب عدائية الكاتب تجاه الإسلام ، إذ تراهم يظهرهم عدائيين و همج ، و بالمقابل لم يذكر الي...more
و سبب إهتمامي بهذا الكتاب ، هو ما قادني أن أعمل بحث بعشرين صفحة عن محتواه لمادة التاريخ في المدرسة .
كتاب كتبه أحد رجالات المحافظين الجدد و أحد رسامين الإستراتيجية الأميركية في العشرين عاما الماضية.
تحدث هنتغتون عن الكثير من المواضيع ، إذ تحدث عن طبيعة العلاقة بين الحضارات و موقفها حاضرا و شكلها مستقبلا.
لا أستغرب عدائية الكاتب تجاه الإسلام ، إذ تراهم يظهرهم عدائيين و همج ، و بالمقابل لم يذكر الي...more
Človek se zamisli, če je to vse res. In če je res, potem je res nekaj narobe z nami.
Dojel sem, da skozi vso zgodovino borb in preživetij, je bila ena borba najbolj pogosta. Borba za moč! Pri vsej tej moči so se borili zaradi določenih veljakov, ki so skozi religijo, narodnost in prepričanje vodili večino v smrt. Mislim, da se tudi danes lahko najdejo vzporednice za takšna dejanja.
Prebral sem jo, dolgo želeno in pričakovano knjigo oz. bolje rečeno, sem jo poslu...more
Dojel sem, da skozi vso zgodovino borb in preživetij, je bila ena borba najbolj pogosta. Borba za moč! Pri vsej tej moči so se borili zaradi določenih veljakov, ki so skozi religijo, narodnost in prepričanje vodili večino v smrt. Mislim, da se tudi danes lahko najdejo vzporednice za takšna dejanja.
Prebral sem jo, dolgo želeno in pričakovano knjigo oz. bolje rečeno, sem jo poslu...more
تقييمي بشكل عام للكتاب انه ممتاز واستفادتي منه كانت كبيرة.
يقسم المؤلف -بإختصار شديد- كتابه إلى خمسة أقسام رئيسية ذات تسلسل وتدرج منطقي حيث:
- يبدأ بطرح تعريفات الحضارة ومكوناتها وأسس الهويات فيها ومفاهيم الصراعات الثقافية الكبرى.
- ثم ينتقل إلى الحديث عن الضعف الذي سيطرأ على الثقافة الغربية في ميزان القوة العسكرية والاقتصادية والسكانية لصالح القوى الشرقية والإسلامية.
- ثم الحديث عن نظام الحضارات الناشئ والتفاف الدول ذات الثقافات المتقاربة حول "دول المركز"....more
يقسم المؤلف -بإختصار شديد- كتابه إلى خمسة أقسام رئيسية ذات تسلسل وتدرج منطقي حيث:
- يبدأ بطرح تعريفات الحضارة ومكوناتها وأسس الهويات فيها ومفاهيم الصراعات الثقافية الكبرى.
- ثم ينتقل إلى الحديث عن الضعف الذي سيطرأ على الثقافة الغربية في ميزان القوة العسكرية والاقتصادية والسكانية لصالح القوى الشرقية والإسلامية.
- ثم الحديث عن نظام الحضارات الناشئ والتفاف الدول ذات الثقافات المتقاربة حول "دول المركز"....more
Amazing thesis for the political/intellectual elite disconnected with reality. I´m not convinced we should espouse overly-simplified paradigms to guide foreign or domestic policy. History is great to cite, but I´ve always found this world a little more complex and less predictable than say a Huntington would make it seem. Or, should we approve in giving our USA leaders a quick justification to fight in the name of Christianity? Why is Separation of Church and State always conveniently left out? ...more
I have not read this entire book, just a number of chapters and excerpts for papers in school. Being a history major and having interest in political science, this is a key work for the modern, post communist world. However, Historians do not give much respect to huntington because they disagree with the predictability aspect that Huntington poses. Well, that among other things. Most of my history teachers tore him up.
عندما سمعت عنوان الكتاب للمرة الأولى , ظننت أن محتواه تاريخياً .. لم أتصور للحظه أنه كتاب سياسي ( مع أنه كتاب شهير ) .. لا أعرف لمَ ظننته تاريخياً , على أيّة حال هذا ما جعلني أبدأ بقراءته ! عندما بدأت بالقراءة اكتشفت - بذعر - أنّ الكتاب سياسي بامتياز !
مع ذلك وجدت الكتاب ممتعاً , أمّا لماذا لم أكمله فهو لأني وجدت تكراراً في الأفكار عندما وصلت لنهاية ثلثه الثاني , عدا عن أنّي قد فهمت ما يريد الكاتب إيصاله لنا ..
الحقيقة أنّي وجدت الأفكار مذهلة ! .. أنا لا أملك معلومات سياسية وافية , ل...more
مع ذلك وجدت الكتاب ممتعاً , أمّا لماذا لم أكمله فهو لأني وجدت تكراراً في الأفكار عندما وصلت لنهاية ثلثه الثاني , عدا عن أنّي قد فهمت ما يريد الكاتب إيصاله لنا ..
الحقيقة أنّي وجدت الأفكار مذهلة ! .. أنا لا أملك معلومات سياسية وافية , ل...more
This is quite possibly the worst political analysis ever to become popular; although Fukuyama's The End of History is a close second. Rife with unproved assumptions; the sheer arrogance of Huntington to first arbitrarily establish cultural boundaries based on arbitrary criteria, then to assume they are monolithic structures and finally to pretend to be able to speak on behalf of them, is what turns this book into mere opinion devoid of a relationship with reality. The danger of the book lies in ...more
Ike Sharpless
rated it
I'm a conscrutivist, so it's unsurprising that I'm not a fan of this theory. As most social scientists would rush to tell you, it's essential to distinguish between descriptive and normative works, but Huntington blurs the line to the point that his Manichaean dichotomizing becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. This lecture Edward Said gave at UMass a while ago captures a lot of what's wrong with this view of the world: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=... Said is obviously coming from a ve...more
Huntington is an excellent author who draws you in with reasonable sounding arguments. Sadly, if you actually try to break through the prose, his arguments don't hold up at all.
Huntington actually makes a much weaker point than most assume: in fact, his argument boils down to the assertion that conflicts that happen across a "civilization boundary" (which he defines in such vague terms that it is hard to know one when you see it) will be worse (more violent, harder to contro...more
Huntington actually makes a much weaker point than most assume: in fact, his argument boils down to the assertion that conflicts that happen across a "civilization boundary" (which he defines in such vague terms that it is hard to know one when you see it) will be worse (more violent, harder to contro...more
Very good book about the future of international relations - simple thesis that the main axes around which world politics will turn will be the 7 or 8 civilizational blocs. Kind of a reaction against the End of History notion of Fukuyama's that the world is gradually becoming more like us - free and capitalist. This instead suggests very distinct cultural entities in a more multi-polar world, perhaps peacefully coexisting as long as no fights are picked along the fault lines where they interse...more
Anyone that has ever began to look @ modern foreign policy in an intelligent way has certainly heard of "The Clash of Civilizations" or at the least of the late Sam Huntington. Without diving too much into Professor Huntington's thesis, the basic theme is that in the post-Cold War world modern foreign policy will be determined by cultural conflict. The book is basically a longer, updated version of Professor Huntington's article on the subject from Foreign Affairs (http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/4......more
Daniel Mason-D'croz
added it
I think this book has gotten a pretty bad rap, which is undeserved. Overall there are a lot of good insights, that if taken to heart would probably make for more effective relations between countries of different cultures. The book was an interesting look at the role that culture plays within the field of international relations. I don't agree completely with Huntington with regards to the overwhelming importance of culture in terms of long run international relations, but he does present his th...more
Dated, yes, comes off bigoted and then turns to the resolution that we need to try and understand the 'other'. Doesn't take into account children and thus cultures/religions/nationalities that are mixed... a growing populace in our world. There's nothing as simple as the Iron Curtain in our era of globalization. Huntington is a complex character in of himself, surprisingly he is a democratic, and voted for Obama, someone, I wonder, who would make his assumptions at large inept--or perhaps that's...more
This is a decent book in the manner that the author covers many different aspects of interaction between different cultures and civilizations, with a lot of research and some adequate analysis. It is however, in my opinion, deeply flawed; as a lot of missing factors were neglected, either because of a lack of space or concern by the author. I would not recommend it to anyone as a primer on international relations, however for further study there are some good points to be considered. His anal...more
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order stands as a foundational text in the post-Cold War field of international relations. Popular reception to the work has emphasized its predictive elements vis-à-vis the increasing tendency for conflicts to arise out of inter-civilizational rivalries, as opposed to the ideologically oriented contests that dominated much of the twentieth century. This reading, while accurate, fails to apprehend Huntington’s wider purpose. The book is in fa...more
In short: interesting, provocative and dangerous.
It's interesting how Huntington describes the forces of history and intergovernmental relations. It's fascinating to see how he fits things into a neat model. Though the facts are true, the model itself is intriguing, provocative at best and controversial at worst. Behind it is a watershed assumptions of the existence of several main civilizations, cultural cores, and the forces of diplomacy are mostly the play between these defining p...more
It's interesting how Huntington describes the forces of history and intergovernmental relations. It's fascinating to see how he fits things into a neat model. Though the facts are true, the model itself is intriguing, provocative at best and controversial at worst. Behind it is a watershed assumptions of the existence of several main civilizations, cultural cores, and the forces of diplomacy are mostly the play between these defining p...more
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Samuel Phillips Huntington is an American political scientist who gained prominence through his "Clash of Civilizations"(1993, 1996) thesis of a new post-Cold War world order. Previously, his academic reputation had rested on his analysis of the relationship between the military and the civil government, his investigation of coups d'etat and for his more recent analysis of threats posed ...more
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Jun 13, 2009 11:07pm
updated Jun 15, 2009 12:52pm