Ethical Foundations of Transcultural Communication 5: Clash of Civilizations in Global World

The subject introduces basic approaches toward understanding the world development after 1989, phenomena like terrorism, migration, religious conflicts etc. The current issues related to the clash of civilizations are studied through the lens of our experience from the past. When evaluating the studied cases, ethical criteria are taken into consideration.

The students are expected to learn how to understand and critically analyse current question related to civilizational clashes. It is important to understand the cultural background of each studied case and also their ethical implications. Theoretical knowledge will be applied onto concrete events.

Topics: 1. Francis Fukuyama and his thesis about the end of history, 2. Clash of civilizations by Samuel Huntington, 3. European experience with civilizational clashes from the past, 4. Authority and freedom, 5. Islam and the West, 6. USA and their international role in politics, 7. Export of democracy – a realistic project or a utopia? 8. Terrorism, 9. State of Israel – a hindrance for peace in the Near East? 10. Zones of hope – the Arab world, 11. Russia and the orthodox world, 12. Giants to come – China and India, 13. World in 21st century – opportunities and challenges.

Burleigh, M. Sacred Causes. The Clash of Religion and Politics, from the great War to the War on Terror. New York, 2006.
Fukuyama, Francis. The End of History and the Last Man. Free Press, 2006.
Huntington, Samuel. The Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of the World Order. Simon & Schuster, 2011.