More than three decades later, the influential theory continues to remain relevant in global politics.
This theory was proposed by the Harvard University academic and political scientist Samuel P. Huntington. Originally written in the form of an essay, the theory eventually was drafted into a complete book titled-The Clash of Civilizations & the Remaking of the World Order. The book was published in 1996.
More than three decades have passed, yet the theory continues to animate vigorous conversations in intellectual circles both for and against it. Hence, it becomes necessary to undertake a critical exposition of this theory and examine its relevance.
The Theory
Huntington contended that the end of the Cold War would not usher in an era of peace and prosperity that many thinkers in the West originally prophesized. He also rejected the notion that the downfall of communism and the end of the Soviet Union would result in the triumph of the West followed by the universalization of Western political and social norms.
He instead argued that culture would replace ideology as the new flashpoint in global politics. He argued that conflicts in the name of culture would take place in almost every region of the world, particularly in West Asia and eventually the West. He argued that these conflicts would play out at two levels—macro and micro. He emphasized the point that it would be at the micro level in societies where these cultural conflicts would take their most egregious forms. He coined the term fault line conflict to explain this phenomenon, particularly at a time when globalization spearheaded by the West was slowly taking off.
He classified civilizations into multiple categories: Western (under the banner of Judeo-Christian civilization), Islamic, Slavic, African, Sinic or Chinese, Hindu, and Buddhist.
With that said, he also went on to give an in-depth explanation of how these conflicts would pan out in the interstices of two notable ‘civilizations’—the West and Islamic. He argued that the West became dominant not because of the universal acceptance of their ideas and doctrines, but because they were experts in monopolizing the exercise and use of force.
Cultural conflicts, he prophesized, would soon become one of the major headaches for the global community, eventually resulting in the rise of religiously inspired terrorism.
Relevance in Today’s Time
Notwithstanding the barrage of criticism from both the left and right sides of the ideological spectrum globally, the theory has continued to remain relevant, particularly when seen in the context of the global socio-cultural & socio-political milieu.
Culture has become one of the key flashpoints in global politics, both in domestic as well as the foreign affairs of countries. Today, the western countries are experiencing culture wars. This emanates particularly due to immigration that represents the cultural aspect of globalization. Immigration, both legal and illegal, has resulted in a marked increase in the populations of the adherents of the world’s fastest growing religion in the West.
This has resulted in a significant demographic shift in the West with a concomitant change in the cultural norms and principles. Differences on fundamental issues like worship, customs, traditions, cuisine, and social attitudes have generated friction among the natives and immigrants, particularly of Muslim faith. This became the cause behind the rise of far-right forces in the West, whether in the form of Donald Trump’s MAGA or Make America Great Again Movement, Tommy Robinson in Britain, Marie Le Pen in France, or AFD in Germany.
The cultural right seeks to make vigorous efforts to reclaim the pristine roots of their societies. This has manifested itself in varying reactions, from hard-line immigration policies in the USA to anti-Islamic rallies in Britain.
But these culture wars are symptomatic of a deeper rot. The rot in question is the decline of the West as a monolithic cultural entity that could take on other civilizations even as it maintained internal cohesion.
This decline is also a sign that white supremacism is on the rise, and the targets include innocent, industrious, law-abiding individuals and families whose only sin is that they happen to possess a different skin tone, speak a different language, or, for that matter, belong to a different religion.
Another aspect of this relevance is the rise and the strong partnership exhibited by India, Russia, and China, representatives of the Hindu (read secular), Buddhist, and Slavic civilizations. The West’s attempts to counter these civilizational countries one way or the other have failed not only in the past but continue to fail even in the present.
In conclusion, it can be said that Huntington’s influential theory will continue to remain relevant in the years to come as the world becomes more and more polarized on the issues of culture and religion.
Pranay Kumar Shome, a research analyst who is a PhD candidate at Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar, India
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