WESTERN ETHNOCENTRISM AS A CULTURAL ILLUSION
Accepted
25 March 2026
Available Online
15 March 2013
Abstract
PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES HAVE ATTACKED EACH OTHER MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THIS PHENOMENON STILL CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE OF DEBATE AND THE RECENT CONFLICTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE TERRORIST ATTACKS - SUCH AS THE ONE ON WORLD TRADE CENTER IN 2001 - HAVE CAUSED AN INCREASE OF ATTENTION AND AN ESCALATION FEAR FOR THIS TYPE OF CONFLICT. ACCORDING TO HUNTINGTON, IN TODAY‟ S WORLD, THE REALITIES OF GLOBAL POLITICS ARE SHAPED BY THE CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO OPPOSITE CIVILIZATIONS, WEST AND ISLAM. THUS, BOTH SIDES CLAIM THE CENTRALITY AND IMPLICIT SUPERIORITY OF ONE CULTURAL IDENTITY OVER THE OTHER, AND TRY TO IMPOSE A WORLDVIEW B Y REPRESENTING THE OTHER IN A DISTORTED AND STYLIZED IMAGE. THESE CLAIMS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN ILLUSIONS CONDITIONED BY THEIR POSITIONING IN A SPECIFIC CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE THAT OUGHT TO BE OVERCOME TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE DIVERSITY.
Keywords
ETHNOCENTRISM
CIVILIZATION
WEST
ORIENTALISM
CULTURAL
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