The Winstonite

Edited by David Alexander In the first part of this topic found here, I argued that the very idea of a “Western Civilization” constantly struggling to maintain its position relative to and against other civilizations is a myth. The theory that civilizations clash for ideational reasons is problematic in two ways.  The first is that [...]

Read the full story

My intention in writing this piece is to bring to your attention a rather peculiar development, a certain epistemological disconnect I have came to observe in the arguments put forward concerning the employment of so called “oppressive language”. Certain groups of people, (an attempt at giving a definition of whom here would go against the [...]

Read the full story

In response to my colleague’s response, I wanted to clarify that I had conceded that there is nothing trivial about the conceptualization of a ‘Western civilization.’ My primary concern was with those who suggest that any form of Western civilization succeeds in its confrontations against other civilizations. Hence, I had written: “It must be clarified [...]

Read the full story

I agree with Mohamad that peaceable interactions between Civilizational groups are quite common, and visible on many occasions through history. If it were impossible or difficult, as Huntington seems to assert, then the world would look quite different than it does today. There would be no migration between the Middle East and Europe or North [...]

Read the full story

The suggestion that our world is dichotomized between contending civilizations is a common myth. The Huntingtonian creed is our most contemporary example, in which Western ‘civilization’ must ensure its survival against the aggression of the Confucian and Islamic civilizations. The idea that a Western civilization (whether it is the aggressor or the victim) is in [...]

Read the full story

In previous writing, I’ve often argued that the core principles of Islam and modernity are not necessarily diametrically opposed to one another. Many people, both fundamentalist Islamists and strict secularists  would wish to make that claim (for different reasons, of course). My stance is clear. Many societies in which Islam is prevalent continuously demonstrate their [...]

Read the full story

by Maria Arseniuk Growing up as a first generation immigrant in Canada, the concept of “home” was hard for me to come to terms with – I could not make sense of whether I belonged in the country that gave birth to my native culture, language and family or the one that now housed me [...]

Read the full story

As I established in the first part of this series, in international organisations the deficiencies of decision-making structures and their disappointing results are mostly connected with problems of representation, participation, and accountability. In this context, questionable procedures of representation and participation end up accounting for what seem to be two recurring trends: swinging between endless [...]

Read the full story

Legitimacy is an age old political concept. It implies the acknowledged right of leaders to govern. Although the concept itself is not new, the requirements for being considered legitimate are constantly changing. In the international arena, this change reflects the political interests and values of a variety of states. More powerful states are more influential [...]

Read the full story

By Camellia Yildirim, Australian Correspondent In part 1, I established the humanity of the Replicants – they exceed their programming, improve themselves, feel real emotion, experience real memories, and grow and change over their four year lifespan. It is at this point which one may truly appreciate the core reason for humanity’s fear of their [...]

Read the full story