POLSC101: Introduction to Political Science

Samuel Huntington's controversial "clash of civilizations" theory posits that people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world. His theory has fallen under the stern critique of various academic writers. Since this article is short, read through it twice. The first time you read it, identify and consider the main points of Huntington’s argument. Then, when you read it for a second time, identify and consider the authors’ critiques of Huntington’s argument. Particularly, refer back to Unit 1.3, which explored political science as a “science.” How do the critiques found in this article reflect the principles of “scientific” social science research?