The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

By Samuel P. Huntington

About The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

Samuel P. Huntington proposes that cultural and civilizational identities will shape major lines of conflict in the post-Cold War world.

The book asks how religion, inherited identity, and competing conceptions of order influence international relations. Its broad categories are an argument to evaluate, rather than a settled explanation of every conflict.

This selection creates a discussion across scales: the historical sweep of the Durants, Hoffer’s account of movements, and Huntington’s interpretation of global divisions.

Why I include it

I recommend engaging critically with Huntington’s controversial framework and comparing it with the historical and psychological perspectives in the historical foundations selections.

Collection 01 · Read 3

Foundations of Power & Movements

Move from individual and group psychology to a contested account of cultural identity in world politics.

What to look for while reading

Which observations support the civilizational framework, and which complicate it? Test the argument against political and economic explanations rather than treating its categories as fixed.