The idea of civilization may have lost its importance, but understanding different civilizing processes is critical for promoting respect and trust between the diverse peoples of today’s international society.
Is it possible that Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” thesis could actually be employed in an argument for liberalism? If so, George W. Bush’s foreign policy did just that.
Examining Huntington’s thesis over the past 20 years, Murshed argues conflict occurs primarily within rather than between states and that these conflicts never evolve in a socio-economic vacuum.
Huntington’s work, although flawed in various respects, perfectly captured the zeitgeist at the end of the Cold War and encapsulated the hopes and fears of globalisation.
Distinguished Professor of International Relations Stephen Chan criticizes current analyses of international developments as being based primarily on western systemic models that steadily impose a cultural monopoly on the field.
It is worth taking a second look at Huntington’s thesis considering the controversial democratisation attempts pursued by the US in the early years of the 21st Century.
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