The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

Huntington argues that the post-Cold War world is undergoing a profound reconfiguration as nations increasingly align themselves not according to ideology or geopolitical interest, but along cultural and civilizational lines. While the Cold War permitted states to remain nonaligned or to shift allegiance based on strategic calculation, the new global order compels every state to confront a more fundamental question: “Who are you?” (126). This emphasis on cultural identity—defined by religion, language, history, and shared values—now shapes national and international alignments, fostering cohesion among culturally similar states and conflict among culturally disparate ones.

This cultural realignment has sparked identity crises around the globe. Throughout the 1990s, countries from Canada and Germany to India and Iran were engaged in internal debates over their civilizational identities. In this new landscape, people seek security and belonging through affiliation with those who share similar ancestry, religion, and values. For example, Western European countries that were formerly neutral during the Cold War have integrated with their cultural kin through institutions like the European Union, while Muslim countries such as Turkey and Bosnia face exclusion based on civilizational differences. Similarly, Cold War alliances in the Balkans have dissolved and have been replaced by religiously defined coalitions—such as Orthodox Serbia and Greece aligning against Muslim Albania and Bosnia—with regional conflicts increasingly mapped along civilizational fault lines.