The West : Unique, Not Universal, By Samuel P. Huntington

Some argue that globalization will, on the long term, bring all cultures as a unique Western, if not Americanized, culture, while others argue that some cultures will persist in order to keep their own essence and therefore avoid the homogenization of all cultures. Alongside pure tradition, global conflicts, contradictory political regimes and the diversity of economic systems, some cultures are bound to face issues when trying to fully fit in a global western culture, and that is why cultures are adaptable to one another, but with some limits that we will express in this essay.

After the Civil War, a dynamic period in American history opened- the settlement of the West. The lives of Western miners, farmers, and ranchers were often filled with great hardships, but the wave of American settlers continued. railroads hastened this nation during this period, many Native Americans lost their homeland and their way of life.

The Navajo Indians emulated the pueblo. The shed their animal skin clothing for cotton and learned quickly how to farm. These people settled in between the Rio Grande and the Grand Canyon. They herded sheep and grew corn in the valleys. They were a peaceful group of people, and were one with their surroundings.

Did you realize that there are more than 25 drifts that changed America? In any case, there are three noteworthy movements that affected the world we live in today; the rise of the West, the rise of the United States of America, and the rise of the rest. The rise of the west was from the fifteenth century until the eighteenth century. It comprised of the Christian transformation, scientific revolution , and the industrial revolution. In the Christian Reformation, there was a detachment amongst chapel and state. Common state was demanded which is the point at which the administration does not have an association with any

tragedy. The two loves in his life are both dead on Valentine’s Day. Roosevelt choses to give of political life. So he was now working as a captain of the National Guard and other public service jobs. However Roosevelt only wants to do one thing he is driven to be an author. During this year Roosevelt releases many books including: The Naval War of 1812, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman, The Winning of the west, and Thomas Hart Benton. Roosevelt marries his childhood sweetheart, Edith Kermit Carow, and continues his literary career at their home.

Many people from around the world have a different perspectives of what western culture really is depending on where you are in the world, or what cultures and religions you follow. Some see is at a place of wealth, self-expression, or opportunity. While other places see it as a place of freedom away from the harsh realities they are facing in their own homes. Some countries, like Iran see “western culture” as a negative thing because it causes iranian

Sam Huntington's claims that Western ideas do not resonate with civilizations from the East is incorrect. Huntington only acknowledges that Western ideas were developed by the West when ideas such as the separation of the church and state weren’t practiced by Western civilizations all throughout Western history, while also ignoring the history of Eastern civilizations having similar ideas, namely liberty.

When asked to define the true meaning of “the West” it is very easy to get tricked because, as it turns out, it is not defined by its geographical location. It is not in fact the political, economical, and cultural characteristics of the North American continent, but the opposite. Western civilizations involves societies that are placed opposite geographically, in the East. The culture dates way back all the way to the beginnings of Greek civilization. It is truly unique and its influence can be found in all new cultures, culturally, politically and economically.

Huntington thesis stated in his opinion that the great differences among people and the dominating source of conflicts would be due to differences in culture. He also stated that key conflicts in global politics will take place due to different civilizations among nations.

The aim of Samuel P. Huntington’s “The Clash of Civilizations” was to provide an academic framework to understand almost all of the conflicts that had broken out since the end of the twentieth century, to include predicting the appearance of future conflicts. According to Huntington, there will be a clash of civilizations since the world has been in an unreasonable era since the end of the Cold War and the position of the nation-state has not been of any significance. Far more than the political objectives of territorial take-overs, it is the religious element of culture that has become the main cause of conflict. It should be acknowledged that Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” is a relatively simple theory which focuses on

Western culture is a body of knowledge derived from reason that began in Ancient Greece. There and in the Roman civilization it developed until the start of the Middle Ages when it largely vanished from Europe. During the Middle Ages, Western culture resided, instead, in the Arab / Persian world to a modest degree. Today, Western culture has at least some presence in nearly all nations of the world. It does not currently exist, however, anywhere in a perfect and complete form. Wherever Western culture exists, it is at least partially mixed, and often largely mixed with non-Western culture. Western culture represents knowledge developed from the reason that has been

This brings us to the convergence of two faces. Professor Rossi amplifies this, “myths and symbols are imbued with meaning and interpretation of our own choosing, yet what symbols we use, and how we can choose to interpret them have to come from somewhere. We can’t simply make stuff up” (Class notes, 10/19). This mindset allows for individuals to have a choice, and pushes away from the stigma “west is best”. It is crucial for developing cultures to know that they have a choice, because given that choice, it is more likely that they will suceed. By admitting to an inability for cultures to adapt under false pretenses, the convergence permits a new era of creating civilizations.

A. J. Polyzoides, an honorary senior lecturer at Birmingham University, states: “The western world has adopted and developed their discoveries throughout the centuries.” (Polyzoides 1). As the Hellenistic society shifted away from the Classical ideals of perfectionism and idolization of the elites and gods in sculpture, artists began to be fixated on illustrating imperfection of a variety of individuals faced with the ruthless authenticity of their emotional struggles. Whereas, Classical architecture focused on dedicating massive structures to the gods to emphasize their divinity, but Hellenistic architecture used advanced technology to exemplify Alexander the Great’s magnificence. Thus, differences in the architecture can be seen in the sophisticated town of Alexandria with structures such as the lighthouse that show how Alexander the Great influenced town planning that was centralized on the creation of a superior city, likewise, The Altar at Pergamon expresses the loss of focus on the divine through unique sculptural techniques. Change can also be seen in the sculptures of The Boxer and The Old Market Woman as they are depicted to be imperfectly individualistic and in emotional distress.

Samuel Huntington claims in his article – “The Clash of Civilizations?” – that the “great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural.” Huntington defines civilization as a “cultural identity” that can be as narrow a scope as within a village and as broad as a “Westerner”. He argues that differences between civilizations will be the main source of conflict for six reasons: these differences are deeply ingrained; these civilizations have more interactions with each other, promoting a greater awareness of their differences; religious sects of society are returning to fundamentalism; non-Western civilizations are rejecting Western values and institutions; cultural differences are not as easily resolved as ideological differences; and intraregional trade is increasing, which increases cultural bonds between similar civilizations.

Orientalism that view the societies of the world in a dualistic manner—the West sees and defines itself in relation to a culture of opposites. While it identifies itself as familiar and normal, it characterizes the Other according to its deficiencies. The Western world will never be able to fully understand other societies and their differences in relation to one another if it continues to perpetuate these distinctions. Wolf’s perspective places an emphasis on the role of history in perceptions of the non-Western world and how the West does not account for the history of these other peoples. By “people without history,” Wolf means the societies that the West has deemed insignificant and primitive yet continues to exert power over.