Samuel Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilizations’: The Biography of a Bestseller
Dr. Cora Schmidt-Ott – University of Freiburg
Why do some social science books become bestsellers? Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order is one of them. When he first published his essay on the impending “clash of civilizations” in 1993, the political scientist’s claim that the emerging world order would be shaped by distinct civilizations provoked intense debate, paving the way for his most influential book in 1996. Despite the extensive criticism it attracted from the outset, the term has continued to resurface in public discussions about global order and cultural conflict. This talk traces the trajectory of Huntington’s most well-known work, arguing that it sheds light on the intellectual history of the post-Cold War era as well as the dynamics at the intersection of academia, politics and the wider public sphere.