A (short) history of the Clash of Civilisations

Adib-Moghaddam, Arshin

Abstract

Where does the clash of civilizations thesis and its underlying us-versus-them mentality come from? How has the idea been engineered historically and ideologically in the ‘east’ and ‘west’? What were the functions of Christianity and Islam to these ends? These are some of the questions that will be discussed in this article that engages both the clash of civilizations thesis and the discourse of ‘Orientalism’ more generally. Dissecting the many manifestations of mutual retributions, the article establishes the nuances of the ‘clash’ mentality within the constructs we commonly refer to as ‘Islam’ and the ‘west’, showing how it is based on a questionable ontology, how it has served particular political interests and how it is not inevitable. What is presented, rather, is a short genealogy of this idea, dispelling some of its underlying myths and inventions along the way.

Citation

Adib-Moghaddam, A. (2008). A (short) history of the Clash of Civilisations. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 21(2), 217-234. https://doi.org/10.1080/09557570802020990

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Jan 31, 2008
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 2, 2108
• Journal: Cambridge Review of International Affairs
• Print ISSN: 0955-7571
• Electronic ISSN: 1474-449X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 217-234
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09557570802020990