This collection is the consummate collection of readings on contemporary international relations. According to Samuel Huntington's seminal 1993 essay, The Clash of Civilizations, world politics is entering a new phase, in which the great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of international conflict will be cultural. Civilizations—the highest cultural groupings of people—are differentiated from each other by religion, history, language and tradition. In the resulting era of cultural conflict that is emerging, the United States must forge alliances with similar cultures and spread its values wherever possible. In Huntington's final analysis, the West must be accommodating if possible and confrontational if necessary; moreover, all civilizations will have to learn to tolerate each other. This collection includes a series of responses to Huntington's original essay by eminent writers in the field.

Contents includes articles originally published in Foreign Affairs including:

• The Clash of Civilizations? Samuel Huntington, Foreign Affairs, Summer 1993
• The Summoning Fouad Ajami, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• The Dangers of Decadence Kishore Mahbubani, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• The Case for Optimism Robert L. Bartley, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• Civilization Grafting Liu Binyan, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• The Modernizing Imperative Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• Do Civilizations Hold? Albert L. Weeks, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• The West is the Best Gerard Piel, Foreign Affairs, September/October 1993
• If Not Civilizations, What? Samuel Huntington, Foreign Affairs, November/December 1993