Samuel Huntington's Apocalypse? Cover Image

Apokalipsa Samuela Huntingtona?
Samuel Huntington's Apocalypse?

Author(s): Anna Jawor
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Huntington; Apocalypse; globalization; leadership

Summary/Abstract: Will the Biblical Apocalypse come true? Do some of the civilizations proposed by Samuel Huntington correspond to the seven seals from the Book of Revelation? If this is true, does it tell us any more about the identity of the Antichrist and future Battles of Armageddon? According to Huntington, religion is the most important factor in the future of the world and is the main dividing line between the Islamic and Western worlds. The United States plays a leading role but Islamic civilization does not want to be directed by it. Muslims are generally afraid of the Western culture and they largely perceive it as depraved and unfaithful. On the other hand, however, the USA is also one of the most religious countries in the world, but in its own way. The two civilizations, for the most part, do not understand each other and have different interpretations as to what is good and what is wrong—this is why the dialogue is so important. Dialogue will help us to avoid stereotypes and ethnocentrism which was one of Huntington's sins. America has led a unipolar world since 1991. However, we can also observe “the rise of the rest”—the growing role of other global actors. Surveys of world public opinion show that in fact people wish the world was more multi-polar. The problem, however, is that the only great power whose leadership is widely supported is the European Union (EU) and the EU does not seem to want to play the role of the global leader. The EU has numerous unsolved problems with its own identity and the world is only changing largely through American led direction. However as globalization advances, the world is becoming increasingly multi-polar and will be led by many people from many different civilizations.

  • Issue Year: 2009
  • Issue No: 34
  • Page Range: 207-216
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Polish
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