Atlantic Community:Open Think Tank Article "Alliances and the Clash of Civilizations"

July 5, 2010 | 2 comments | Print this Article | E-Mail Your Research

BA Thesis: Alliances and the Clash of Civilizations

Maya Todorova Stanulova: States from the same civilization are more likely to form an alliance and such an alliance is more likely to be durable than states/alliances across civilizations.

This BA thesis aims at testing the Clash of Civilizations hypothesis through the prism of alliance formation and stability theories. Although Huntington (1993, 1996) is often disputed by other scholars, it is important to consider his ideas because he emphasizes the significance of culture in international relations, which is also supported by the constructivist school of thought. In addition, by focusing on alliances, the thesis escapes from the common research on the relation between conflict proliferation and different civilizations, hence aiming at opening a new niche of research. The results of the analysis favour the two hypotheses that same-civilizational alliances are more likely to form and that they are more stable, i.e. more durable. Therefore, Huntington is right when he says that culture matters in the international system and influences political decisions.

Maya Stanulova is a student of International Law at the University of Edinburgh with special interest in international conflicts and criminal law. Her other interests include humanitarian assistance and international development.

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July 20, 2010

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I think there may be found a grain of truth in Ms. Stanulava’s thesis if one choses to overlook the polarizing effects of such lines of thinking among cultures or civilizations.

As such polarizations may lead eventually to various types of conflicts –even with no real concrete reason- which may sometimes end up leading to wars, thus working against the basic philosophies upon which the alliances are formed –to maintain peace.

In other words, alliances exluding all others except the similar ones are clearly detrimental to developing a World Order with the expectation of establishing lasting World Peace.

Therefore the corollary to the authors thesis, I think, may be much more conducive to developing a long lasting peaceful World Order. And also a much more valuable contribution to undertanding peace as well as for the humanitarian thought at this time and age.

August 13, 2010

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I must add that the more intensely polarized the humankind, the earlier may be experienced the eventual doomsday or apocalypse by all...

It is rather unfortunate that the human spiritual evolution seems to be too slow in comparison to the rapid technological advancement as related to the industrialization directed to designing & manufaturing of conventional and/or nuclear mass destruction weaponry.

If one is to consider such great dangers the mankind have come to be facing over the last couple of decades in combination with the potential natural disasters approaching such as climate change, food shortage, etc., it may readily be noted that there is an urgent need for a much greater cooperation to re-structure international organizations to prolong the survival of humanity.

On the other hand one may also need to be alarmed about the possible catastrophic dangers that may be existent due to various changes taking place in the solar system but people seem to be too concerned with daily trifles –whether cultural, political or economical- to worry about these at all.