Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in "The Clash of Civilizations and the Making of the World Order", Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington believes that a clash of civilizations may arise in the not too far distant future because of the instability of the present international system, which he believes features a number of civilizations with incompatible political, social, cultural and religious values. The author points out that Huntington is especially critical of Islam, which he views as a civilization convinced of its cultural superiority yet obsessed with the inferiority of their power. The paper argues that, despite Edward Said's charges in his book "Orientalism", neither Huntington nor the theories in his book is orientalist. The author underscores argues that ill-conceived books, such as Said's , perpetuate myths about Zionism and Western misdeeds.

From the Paper:

"In contrast to Huntington, who is very critical of Islam, Said is very critical of Zionism. Consequently, it is not surprising that he would consider Huntington an Orientalist. For example, in terms of Zionism and related perceived ideologies, Said insists upon blaming the West or Zionists for the poor image of Arab societies among so many people outside of the Middle East. He seems particularly intent upon attacking Jewish scholars and media organizations, and objects to any mention in the West of Arab treatment of groups such as the Kurds, the Christians, the Bahais, or Arab women who undergo genital mutilation in the name of "modesty"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Huntington, Samuel. The Clash of Civilizations and the Making of the World Order. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998.
• Said, Edward. Orientalism. New York: Random House, 1979.

More papers on Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations":

• Book Review # 98655 : "Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations"
• Article Review # 141803 : "Understanding "The Clash of Civilizations"
• Argumentative Essay # 28338 : "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order"

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