Samuel P. Huntington (RIP - December 24, 2008)

[Sam Spade]

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/samuel-huntington-foreign-policy-theorist-dies-at-81/

Since he died a few days ago, I believe he deserves a thread.  One of the most influential, if not sometimes controversial theorists of our day.  Definitely deserving of discussion.

Consider this a starting point...

[JohnFKennedy]

The 'Clash of Civilizations' was not only a terrible and inaccurate theory but also a dangerous one.

[Beet]

A 58 year old paper he wrote as a graduate student is cited 42 times

Naturally, clash of civilizations is cited 4000 times

...Edit...

the first citation of the graduate paper, just for amusement:

"CANDIDATE POSITIONING IN U.S. HOUSE ELECTIONS" Ansolabehere, Snyder, Stewart

"Theoretical work suggests an even more subtle treatment of responsiveness may be in order.
Mayhew’s (1974b) analysis of marginal races suggests that the more vulnerable the incumbent,
the more attentive to the mainstream of the general electorate he or she will have to be. Hence, in
very marginal seats responsiveness will be highest. Huntington (1950) and Fiorina (1974) suggest
that the opposite pattern will hold. They argue that politicians serve two constituencies, their core
voters and the general election constituencies; in marginal seats disproportionately more attention
must be paid to the core voters, in order to avoid losing one’s base of support. Thus in marginal
districts, incumbents will appear less responsive to the median voter because the constituencies
they are most responsive to are a smaller fraction of the electorate. We find that convergence
is greater in competitive races, suggesting a view closer to Mayhew’s than to Huntington’s and
Fiorina’s."

[Meeker]

I re-read Clash of Civilizations just a few weeks ago.

[Matt Damon™]

Influential and has an insight on the differences on the world's regions but is entirely wrong on how those translate to foreign policy.

[12th Doctor]

My senior thesis was on the Clash of Civilizations.

People who knock it don't understand it.  First off, yes, actually, it is a pretty good describer for our current problems, if you understand the details.  Second, it was written as a warning, so that Western policy makers could understand the modern world and navigate it, not to instigate a clash.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

RIP FF

[JohnFKennedy]

My senior thesis was on the Clash of Civilizations.

People who knock it don't understand it.  First off, yes, actually, it is a pretty good describer for our current problems, if you understand the details.  Second, it was written as a warning, so that Western policy makers could understand the modern world and navigate it, not to instigate a clash.

Then do enlighten us and explain why such luminaries as Amartya Sen and Edward Said have not understood Huntington.

[minionofmidas]

Second, it was written as a warning, so that Western policy makers could understand the modern world and navigate it, not to instigate a clash.

Then do enlighten us and explain why such luminaries as Amartya Sen and Edward Said have not understood Huntington.
[/quote]Probably because they couldn't figure how dumb he was.
Not being "Western" themselves also presumably helped.

Because... well... just quoting the relevant sentence here. If that was its intention, it was marketed wrong and should probably not have been released at all.

[Hatman 🍁]

RIP FF

really?

Wasn't he kind of racist? I've never read Clash of Civilizations (probably should know more about it, considering I'm a polisci major), but the last thing I read by him really bashed Mexicans.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm just familiar with the stuff he wrote about Islam.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

The 'Clash of Civilizations' was not only a terrible and inaccurate theory but also a dangerous one.