The Clash of Civilizations by Samuel Huntington Literature Essay

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Civilizations are recognized as an extensive degree of identity in terms of culture that people possessed which differentiates humankind from other species. The politics of the world during the post–Cold War period have increasingly become civilization-based wherein conflicts is predicted to take place globally especially among civilizations that were established. The groupings of allies and partnerships among countries are mostly based on how strong the shared cultural values are, and not just based on solely ideological or economic lines. Due to the increasing modernization of the economy, there is an increasing identification with people as part or members of a certain civilization in spite of possessing different passports and having dual citizenship. The interactions of people coming from different civilizations have intensified more as a result of migration and international mobility, which have also resulted in the intensified tension among various cultures. An example of this is the fault-line of the clash of civilization when the border between the U.S. and Mexico was established.
In the Clash of Civilizations, Samuel Huntington has pointed out the significance and importance of how global politics structure came to be during the post-Cold War world. When the Cold War has ended, two superpowers in the world – the United States and the Soviet Union – have also lost their powers as major countries that dominate the global economy. Along with the end of the Cold War, questions have arisen regarding the reorganization of international affairs, the characteristics of the balance of power among countries, and where to fit Western civilization. These questions were answered in the text written by Huntington by focusing on the emergence of seven or eight major civilizations. In the book, Huntington’s central argument is mostly focused on how the patterns of conflict were shaped by culture and cultural identity as well as the influence of simultaneous splitting apart and coming together of global institutions during the post-Cold War period. Along with the end of the Cold War is the end of the notion that countries defined themselves through the ideologies they believed or aligned with. The end of the Cold War has stopped the countries to define themselves as to their previous status such as Communist or Capitalist nations to align their rank in the international order. Rather, countries have started to put emphasis on their identity based on their culture. The highlight of culture has been interpreted in a way that every country has the right to determine where it stood, and no one is exempted from it. From nation to nation, a question about own identity, as inevitable as it seems, such as “who are you?”, has become the new normal. Countries no longer asked which country belongs to which side (Huntington, 1993).
The importance of cultural identity has been presented as a central argument throughout the five chapters of Huntington’s The Clash of Civilization wherein various components were also shown along with the main points. Huntington has argued in regard to the increasing trends of global politi...