Civilizational and Political Theories Flashcards
What is the central argument of Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations”?
Huntington argues that conflict will occur along cultural and civilizational fault lines, not ideological or economic ones. Civilizations will clash primarily due to differences in culture, history, and religion.
What does Huntington say about national states in the post-Cold War world?
National states will remain the most powerful actors, and the principal conflict will occur between nations and groups from different civilizations.
How does Huntington describe the post-Cold War world in terms of cultural identity?
In the post-Cold War world, cultural identity will become a primary way in which people define themselves.
How many major civilizations does Huntington identify, and what are they?
Western
Confucian
Japanese
Islamic
Hindu
Slavic-Orthodox
Latin American
Possibly African
Civilizations differ by ______,________,________,________. The world is becoming smaller, and economic modernization/social change is separating people from local identities. The West’s global political and cultural power increases civilization-consciousness.
history, language, culture, tradition, and religion
What makes cultural differences less mutable than political or economic ones?
Cultural characteristics and differences are less easily compromised or resolved compared to political and economic issues.
At what levels will the clash of civilizations occur?
micro level (individual and local) macro level (international).
__________ refer to cultural divisions that replace the political and ideological boundaries of the Cold War. An example is the cultural division of Europe between Western Christianity, Orthodox Christianity, and Islam.
Fault lines
What are the two sources of conflict between the West and other civilizations?
A significant power imbalance (military, economic, and institutional power of the West vs. the Rest)
Competing values and beliefs (differences in worldviews between the West and the Rest)
What are the three responses of non-Western civilizations to Western power and values?
Isolation
Bandwagoning
Balance
(disconnect from the West)
Isolation
(join the West and accept its values)
Bandwagoning
(modernize but not Westernize)
Balance
The West should maintain_________ and _________ power to protect its interests, and also develop a deep understanding of the religious and philosophical worldviews of other civilizations.
military and economic
Huntington argues that there will be no _______________, but rather a world of different civilizations that must learn to coexist.
universal civilization
What is a major criticism of Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” thesis?
Critics argue that the concept of civilization is too simplistic, and that conflicts are more often between countries, not civilizations or religions
Haynes uses the concept of ____________ which refers to the simultaneous co-presence of universalizing and particularizing tendencies in social, political, and economic systems.
“glocalization,”
