Postulates By Samuel Huntington In "The Clash Of Civilization" (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Code Date The Clash of Civilizations In the article “The Clash of Civilizations,” Samuel Huntington postulates that global politics is moving towards a new order that is not based on ideology and economic rivalries. According to the author, future world conflicts will occur along the cultural divide which separates different civilizations (Huntington 25). The political and economic divisions that were created during the Cold War no longer have substantial relevance in the modern society. As a result, countries are now classified according to the domains of culture and civilization. In his analysis, Huntington enumerates a number of factors that will allegedly engender quarrels between different civilizations in the future. He posits that global disputes are inevitable because of cultural diversity. Different civilizations have unique beliefs, customs, and religious norms. Hence, such differences may easily spark violent conflicts. Furthermore, the author predicts that globalization is likely to intensify disagreements among nations and people. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the interaction between different groups of people has also increased. However, the more individuals continue to connect with each other, the easier it becomes for them to develop animosities as they become more aware of their cultural differences. What is more, people are losing their long-established local identities and replacing them with religion. Such a social change is likely to elicit conflict among people owing to the numerous religions that exist. Finally, Huntington predicts that the rise of economic regionalism is likely to cause violence between nations and groups of people because it will not be rooted in a common civilization. Reflection and Response I found Huntington’s article to be very interesting and enlightening. Even though most of Huntington’s postulations have been proved wrong with time, this does not nullify the significance of some of his observations. The author made a correct prediction by stating that violent confrontations and divisions will be inevitable in the future. Indeed, the modern society is plagued with numerous conflicts that have emerged as a reaction to foreign policies of the West. Notably, after the Cold War, the world was divided into three distinct classes based on economic and military prowess: the First, Second, and Third worlds (Huntington 24). The United States became known as the leading Superpower nation. Such an elevated global status gave America the privilege to influence international policies and affairs. For instance, when the United States sent its military troops to intervene in the Gulf War, many Arab countries were irked by that initiative. Thus, the author warned such interactions would eventually “complicate relations between Islamic countries and the West” (Huntington 32). In light of the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States, coupled with its sequential confrontations with the ISIS, it is safe to conclude that Huntington’s prediction has come to pass. Moreover, I partially agree with Huntington’s assertion that the increasing economic regionalism will eventually plunge civilizations into conflicts and chaos. According to Huntington, the advancement of other economic powers and regional hegemonies was likely to intensify conflicts between nations. While this forecast has not yet been fulfilled, current economic trends suggest that it is likely to materialize in the near future. The speedy growth of China to become a regional power in East Asia within the last two decades has caused many researchers to speculate whether or not America will be dethroned from its hegemonic seat. In the web article “The Rise of China and the Future of the West,” John Ikenberry asserts that America, as a declining economic hegemon, will start perceiving China as a threat. Conversely, as China gains more power, it is likely to use its growing influence to restructure international policies and systems to better serve the East bloc rather than the West. Consequently, it is not hard to imagine political and economic tensions growing between rising China and the declining United States. Ho...