The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

Huntington argues that the post-Cold War world is increasingly shaped by tensions between Western civilization and non-Western cultures, particularly Islamic and Confucian (Sinic) societies. He contends that while intercivilizational conflict is not inevitable, it is increasingly likely due to the West’s attempts to impose its values globally at a time when its relative power is declining and other civilizations are becoming more assertive. 

Huntington begins by identifying the key fault lines of conflict: At the micro level, between Islam and its neighbors; at the macro level, between “the West and the rest” (183). He warns that future global tensions will result from “Western arrogance, Islamic intolerance, and Sinic assertiveness” (183). The West, particularly the United States, continues to promote its values (such as democracy, free markets, human rights) as universal. However, many in the non-Western world reject these values as forms of cultural imperialism, not universal truths. This clash is exacerbated by the collapse of communism, which left liberal democracy seemingly unchallenged, encouraging Western leaders to pursue global ideological expansion more aggressively.

Huntington criticizes the West’s practice of masking self-interest in the rhetoric of the “world community” (184) and highlights the double standards in its foreign policies.