Clash of civilisations (will have to apply to Paris attacks) Flashcards
Who wrote clash of civilisations in 1993?
Samuel Huntingdon
What is the main argument of the clash of civilisations?
That Fukuyama was wrong and too idealistic. Conflict was an inevitability
It goes beyond a realist agenda by saying that conflict will not be about power, influence or status but it will be what kind of conflict?
- Conflict will not be about power, influence or status but instead will be on cultural and religious grounds
While nation states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, the principal of conflict will occur between what kind of groups?
- While nations states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, the principal of conflict will occur between civilisations
define a civilisation
How do they differ?
the highest cultural grouping of a people and the broadest level of cultural identity they possess
- Culturally
- Linguistically
- Traditionally
What are the 8 civilisations?
- Western
- Confucian
- Japanese
- Islamic
- Hindu
- Slavic-Orthodox
- Latin-American
- African
what societal differences make a civilisational clash inevitable?
Language, culture, history, tradition, religion
what economic phenomena makes a clash easier?
Globalisation
Describe power shifts in the world economy that could lead to clash
West is at peak of power but its being caught up by other nations
What will successful economic regionalism mean?
- A reinforcement of civilisational consciousness
At what two levels will COC occur?
- Micro = adjacent groups at fault lines of civilisations struggle (territory and control) (e.g. Islam versus west)
- Macro = states from different civilisations compete for relative military and economic power, struggle over control of interntional institutions and third parties, competitive promotion of religious values
What did Huntingdon say about Islam and communism?
- He said that Islam was the new communism, a new transnational force in the world that was bound to clash with the west
Muslims are a majority in how many nations?
56 (Africa and Asia) (also have big numbers in west)
What UN concept does Huntingdon say the west extolls?
An idea that universal civilisation is possible, UN, IMF, WTO reflect western interests.
What are the alternatives to western domination according to Huntingdon?
- Isolationism
- Accepting of values and interchange
- Balancing of power
What will the west have to do if it wants to remain the leading power according to huntingdon?
- Re-evaluate its foreign policy and immigration policies
What is a strong critique of Huntingdon thesis? (internal)
- He understands civilisations as entirely homogenous without internal conflicts or differences.
- He dismisses the powerful role of states in world politics
- Where does one civilisation end and another begin
Exemplify how the Isreali-Palestinian conflict makes it hard to understand how it proves COC wrong
- Struggle against ISreal is geopolitical rather than purely only cultural or religious
(Hamas and Fatah) (Hezbollah)
Huntingdon gives what example of potential civilisational clash?
- Greece and Turkey were allies in Nato but now they have a common threat of the USSR gone they can come to conflict.
what is a counter point to the argument of internal conflict?
- Huntingdon notes that conflict within Islamic communities is part of their development, e.g. break up of ottoman empire, history may repeat itself
Katzenstein makes the argument that societies are both? Plural and?
- Societies are both plural and pluralist (comprised of convergent and divergent actors and processes)
What does katzenstein mean when he calls Huntingdon a cultural realist?
- States are still the most important actors but policy is driven by cultural over ideological considerations
How did Edward said refer to the clash of civilisations?
- The clash of ignorance
- Doesn’t look at internal plurality enough
- Civilisations are not sealed of entities
What was the big generalised statement that Huntingdon made about Muslims?
- the worlds billion or so muslims are ‘convinced of the superiority of their culture, and obsessed with the inferiority of their power’
Dubai and Hong Kong are?
- Pretty westernised cultures
What inter muslim conflict is highly significant?
- Sunni / Shia clash
While he bases society on norms he fails to recognise that norms are?
- Dynamic, ideas on homosexuality, race and culture are constantly changing
Saudia Arabia as a muslim nation is?
- A key trade partner of the west and ally of Britain / America
how many people died in Paris attacks?
130 dead (hundreds wounded)
How did President Hollande describe the Paris attacks?
An act of war organised by ISIS
