Huntington and the Specter of Civilizations

At a time when the global order is in a state of flux, the 30th anniversary of the renowned yet controversial book The Clash of Civilizations & the Remaking of the World Order becomes a fitting moment for taking stock of things.

Another thinker, Samuel P. Huntington, sought to address this irrational exuberance. Written in 1996, his book The Clash of Civilizations & the Remaking of the World Order marks its 30th anniversary this year. In that context, it becomes an opportune occasion to analyze the contents of this piece of academic work in light of the ongoing geopolitical circumstances.

The Substance of the theory

Huntington argued that the post-Cold War period would see a change in the world order. For him, future conflicts would no longer be conditioned by ideology; rather, they would be heavily influenced by cultural factors, with religion playing a definite role. In that vein, he divided the world into distinct civilisational blocs: Islamic, Sinic, Hindu, African, Western, and Orthodox; in doing so, he........

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