The Clash Of Ignorance By Edward Said

From the earliest and most basic history classes taught in school, students are presented with the concept of “civilization”, and how they rise and fall with time. These “civilizations” presented range from the Sumerian to Roman to Western Civilizations. As taught, when one civilization rises to power, another typically falls from power. This rise and fall typically includes a clash that brings one civilization to dominance and another to its knees. Samuel P. Huntington believes that the next “clash of civilizations” will occur between the “Western” and “Islamic” civilizations. Scholars have varying opinions on Huntington’s claim, ranging from supporting material to “The Clash of Ignorance” by Edward Said.

To best evaluate Huntington’s

claim, certain things must first be considered. Civilization must first be completely redefined from what society tends to believe it is. Many are taught that civilization is “beneficial, desirable—and definitely preferable to being uncivilized (Patterson, 9), and that “civilization achieved its highest level of development here and in other Western Countries” (Patterson, 9). Once civilization has been adequately defined according to different sources due to the liquidity of the term “civilization”, and in order to fully understand Huntington’s claim that the next clash will be between the civilizations of the West and Islam, all other current civilizations must be recognized and defined. After the recognizing of the other civilizations of the world, the concept of “Western Civilization” must be clearly defined, if possible. Many scholars believe that any future conflict that will occur will be between “Western civilization” and another rising civilization; therefore, the idea of the West must be thoroughly defined. Once all aspects relating to Huntington’s theory of the clash of civilizations are defined and recognized, evidence may then be presented for and against Huntington’s claims. Scholars on both sides of the issue have extensive materials to reinforce their claims and to best evaluate his theory multiple sides must be presented. Samuel P. Huntington makes the claim that the next great clash will be between cultures/civilizations. He also claims that this clash has already potentially started; to look critically and effectively at this claim other concepts must be evaluated.
Since first being coined in the late 16th century, the idea civilization has had a variety of different meanings.

The first of these different meanings of civilization came from French jurists of the 1560s, who began to classify people as “civilité” and civilisé” based on how different peoples were governed (Patterson, 29). Since that time, the term has expanded and has been used more and more to “other” people. This “othering” as a part of civilization “was forged in the context of European oversees colonial expansion…” and “was used by the elites…to distinguish themselves from the people they encountered” (Patterson, 30). In modern times, civilization is seen and taught to be “beneficial, desirable—and definitely preferable to being uncivilized” (Patterson, 1). Thomas Hobbes also weighs in on the civilization versus barbarism debate. According to one source, Hobbs believes civilization “has been a condition which combines government, leisure and intellectual cultivation” (Kraynak, 90). According to Huntington, “Civilization is not a thing: it is an idea, a concept, a way of organizing reality”(Patterson, 22). Huntington describes civilization as “the highest cultural grouping of a people and the broadest level of cultural identity…” (Huntington 43). According to him, many layers exist within a civilization, like customs, institutions, and religions. He also claims civilization should be inclusive not exclusive. This definition is very similar to the definition

Tedd Gurr gives for an ethnic group. Gurr defines ethnic groups as “communal groups [which] are psychological communities…whose core members share a distinctive and enduring collective identity....”(Gurr, 140). While the definitions of the two may in theory be similar, civilizations, as described by Huntington, are more inclusive and may include multiple ethnic groups; whereas, ethnic groups rarely include multiple civilizations (Fox, 156).
Expanding upon the definition of civilization, Huntington gives five characteristics of a civilization.

He says: “First, a distinction exists between civilization in the singular and civilizations in the plural” (Huntington, 40). Next he claims that civilization is a “culture writ large” (Huntington, 41) and is in the most basic form a “cultural identity” (Huntington, 41). Thirdly, Huntington claims that civilizations are comprehensive. This means, “none of their constituent units can be fully understood without reference to the encompassing civilization” (Huntington, 42). This idea means, in theory that a city in Arkansas is different from a city in California, but both share a commonality of being an American and “Western” city, and being “Western” cities they are not part of any “broader cultural identity” (Huntington, 43). This reinforces the overall claim that Civilizations are the “broadest level of cultural identity” (Huntington, 43). Fourth, Huntington claims that Civilizations must be long lasting. They must remain despite “political, social, economic, and even ideological upheavals” (Huntington, 43). Huntington’s last criterion for civilization is that they do not function as governments. Since civilization is so broad, it is above normal governments of individual states, and therefore should not take part in the governing of any states, which belong to that civilization (Huntington, 43). Currently, six possibly seven civilizations exist in the world,

according to Huntington. These six/seven meet his criteria and act as civilizations at the broadest level of culture.
The six or seven civilizations listed by Huntington encompass all the cultures on the planet. A defining factor for the development and sustained growth of these civilizations is religion. Each of the five great religions, except Buddhism, has a major civilization associated with it. Islam is related to the Islamic Civilization.
The Islamic civilization developed on the Arabian Peninsula around 700 CE and spread with the rise of Islam. Due to the extensive growth of the Islamic civilization, many sub-civilizations exist. According to Huntington these can include “Arab, Turkic, Persian, and Malay” (Huntington, 45).
Hinduism, according to most scholars is associated with the Hindu civilization. This civilization is sometimes referred to as the Indian or Indic civilization, and has existed since roughly 1500 BCE. It mainly exists on the Indian Subcontinent but exists beyond into other areas, which is why it remains its own civilization (Huntington, 45). Confucianism, much like Hinduism lends its name to a civilization, the Confucian Civilization (Huntington, 47).
For many years, the term “Confucian” was acceptable for this civilization, but Huntington changed it to “Sinic” because “Sinic” transcends China and appeals to a more broad Asian audience (Huntington, 45). The Sinic Civilization has existed according to scholars since around 1500 BCE, similar to the Hindu Civilization. Some debate exists as to whether or not the Sinic and Hindu Civilizations are really one or two closely related civilizations. Despite this debate, scholars have “reasonable agreement” (Huntington, 43) that they should be separated.
The last great religion, Christianity is tied to the Western Civilization. Most scholars agree the development of Western Civilization occurred around 700 CE, and in Clash of Civilizations, the “West” is made up of three parts, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Within the West, many distinctions exist. The distinction between North America and Europe for example, recently, the two branches have come closer together, but originally North America tried to define itself as being separate from Europe (Huntington, 46). An even bigger divide comes from Latin America.
Many Latin Americans and scholars believe Latin America is its own civilization. It developed quite differently from North America and Europe and does have major differences from the two. Huntington believes, not wholly, that Latin America should be separate and names it as such the fifth civilization (Huntington, 46).
The last wholly agreed upon civilization is the Japanese civilization. This civilization is an exception to the rule, in that it is also a country. The Japanese Civilization is an offshoot of the Sinic Civilization but is too different to be combined (Huntington, 45).
Lastly, Huntington names a possible seventh civilization, one that is disputed amongst scholars. This civilization is the African Civilization. Africa is listed as possible civilization because it is a conglomeration of the many civilizations that colonized or dominated it for over millennia. European Western civilization and the Islamic civilization have struggled in Africa to the point of creating a new unique civilization and cultural identity (Huntington, 47). While everyone does not agree upon Africa being included, Huntington believed it worth mentioning.
Of these six (or seven) civilizations, the Western Civilization is the most dominant. The West has been the dominant power because of its “superiority in organization, discipline and training…and subsequently by the superior weapons, transport, logistics, and medical services...”(Huntington, 51). According to Huntington, this Western Civilization dominance is being threatened. Before the threat can be realized however, western Civilization must first be better defined.
As stated earlier, Western Civilization was formed on the back of the great religion Christianity. Huntington says “the term ‘the West’ is now universally used to refer to what used to be called Western Christendom” (Huntington, 46). Unlike the other civilizations founded with the help of a great religion, The West is identified by a geographic direction not a region, culture, or religion. This uniqueness is because of the age of European expansionism when European cultures and ideals where spread from Europe, typically west (Huntington, 47). Although Huntington and others view the West as tied to civilization, Phillip Nemo goes back farther than Christianity to define Western Civilization.
To Nemo, there are “five historical episodes” (Nemo, 3) that define the west. The first glimpse at what was to become Western Civilization developed with what some scholars call the “Greek Miracle”, or the “Greek Invention of the City…”(Nemo, 3). The next phase of Western development came from the “Roman invention of law” (Nemo, 3). This may sound misleading as the Romans did not invent law in anyway, but they did perfect it. In only “ a few centuries the Romans elaborated an intricate system of private law unmatched by earlier civilizations” (Nemo, 17). They “revolutionized” mans understanding of itself as a person (Nemo, 18). Third, the west grew out of “the ethical and eschatological revolution of the Bible” (Nemo, 3). This fundamental step is when many scholars point to the actual development of Western Civilization, including Huntington. This “revolution” of the bible pushed the west to “pursue progress for its own sake” (Nemo, 29). The ethical lessons taught by the Bible have no doubt played an integral role in the development of western culture and civilization, and have led to what Nemo calls “the spirit of rebellion against the normalcy of evil” (Nemo, 29). Another development of Western Civilization comes from “the Papal Revolution of the Middle Ages” (Nemo, 3). This revolution allowed for the combination and “real synthesis of Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem” (Nemo, 4). In fundamentally combining these three cities and their contributions to civilization, a unique Western identity is solidified (Nemo, 41). Finally the last stage of western development comes from “the great revolutions, fostering liberal democracy” (Nemo, 4). The values of “representative democracy, universal suffrage—the right of a personal, free, secret vote—the separation of powers, an independent judiciary…”(Nemo, 61) and many more developed from the Enlightenment of the West and the subsequent revolutions in France, England, America, Spain, and Netherlands (Nemo, 60). Some scholars may argue that these values are found elsewhere in the world, but Nemo emphatically states: “all of this happened in the West; and when elsewhere, then only recently and under the influence of the West” (Nemo, 67). Overall, Nemo claims that “the sum of these contributions combine with good fortune to shape the form of the West” (Nemo, 6), and it seems as if his evidence and other evidence from a wide array of scholars supports his claim.
According to the central tenant of The Clash of Civilizations, a new clash will occur in the new future between the dominant civilization, “the west” and “the rest” (Huntington, 183). This future clash could come from two distinct civilizations or a conglomerate of the two. The two civilizations that have, according to Huntington, increased in power relative to that of the West are China and the Islamic States. Huntington says, “Islam and China embody great cultural traditions very different from and in their eyes infinitely superior to that of the West” (Huntington, 185). This belief of superiority will lead to a clash and the “…shaping of the future of the world” (Huntington, 185). The first example of the next clash comes in the shape of a clash between Islam and the West. Many in the West, including former President Clinton have argued that the West does not have a problem with Islam, but rather with “violent Islamic extremists” (Huntington, 209).