history in 3rds

Having read, and provided some commentary, on two of the three prevalent views of history via Stanford's Fukuyama and University of Chicago's John Mearsheimer it seemed time to complete the triumvirate with Samuel P. Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order. 

Huntington, a Harvard professor, wrote this in 1996.  I have the 2011 paperback edition.  Huntington, unlike Fukuyama who argues that liberal democracy is driving history or Mearsheimer who argues that power and the desire for regional hegemony drives history, asserts that culture and cultural norms for civilizations drive history.  Here is an early quote, "Peoples and nations are attempting [today] to answer the most basic question humans can face:  Who are we?  And they are answering that question in the traditional way human beings have answered it, by reference to the things that mean the most to them...They identify with cultural groups:  tribes, ethnic groups, religious communities, nations and, at the broadest level, civilizations...We know who we are only when we know who we are not and often only when we know whom we are against."

His book is more expansive than the other two cited in that 20th century geo-political history does not provide the majority of evidence for his argument.  He is willing to go back to civilization clashes pre-dating the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.  He sees history moving between western civilization (a society based on Judeo-Christian principles ostensibly) and Islamic civilization.  A third Asian civilization exists but lacks clear identity other than as neither of the other two.

I surmise that Pat Buchanan has a worn copy of this book within his possession.  Huntington writes of continual clashes between the East and West, particularly in the fault lines of Europe with immigration providing a constant battleground.  I will add that Huntington seems very prescient in arguing that these fault lines would expand; while reading portions I was reminded of 9/11's stated terroristic origins.

It's an interesting read and again provides a broader range of history.  This work, as well as the other two cited, are on my shelf at Calvary should anyone want to borrow them.