The Analysis Of Samuel Huntington’s Academic Thought

Samuel P. Huntington (1927.4-2008.12) is a famous contemporary political thinker, political theorist and one of the representatives of the Western political theory. In his life, he has published 17 books independently and to participate in others, more than 90 papers, some of them as his representative, for example, Political Order in Changing Societies(1968), The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996), The Third Wave:Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century (1991), Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity (2004), The Crisis of Democracy:On the Governability of Democracies(1976), and No Easy Choice: Political Participation in Developing Countries(1976) etc.. He is famous on his academic acumen and unique academic perspective, but also sparks widespread controversy and discussion.Since the late 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, Chinese scholars have started a research on Huntington’s academic thinking, and have made many achievements to date. But the result looks like a "fragmentation" situation because of the different academic background and the different theoretical sources of Scholars’. The scholar overall grasp of the Huntington academic thought is still relatively small. Therefore, the writer tries to do it.First, Huntington’s academic thoughts are staying in a constantly changing situation. And he always changed his mind because the different time, different social environment. From stable first to democratic-oriented is the first change of his academic thought. This change is mainly manifested in the academic perspective’s transfer. The Huntington’s theory of political development emphasized political stability in the early, while the latter stressed that political democracy. Another change is reflected in the research paradigm. The change is analysis by the system to turn to cultural analysis.Secondly, the Huntington’s academic thought of its intrinsic invariance. Intrinsic constant reflects the consistent the follows,①academic origins and philosophical backgrounds is coincident. The Huntington academic thought revealed the most significant ideological First Evil Nature First, the conservative tendency, both ideological tendencies can almost be found in all the writings of Huntington. Huntington’s evil nature of humans is derived from its recognition and acceptance of Niebuhr, he even claimed to be the "son of Niebuhr". Niebuhr’s view of human nature is pessimistic, and believe that the ugliness of mankind, but also believe that this ugly is the need for tougher means to have control. "Human evil" theory of default also deeply engraved into the Huntington’s academic thought. In addition to the pessimistic image of the evil nature of humans, Huntington is usually considered to be held by the conservative views of theorists. Reflected in their academic thought is: attention to order, emphasis on freedom, focus on tradition, opposed to radical change and cultural diversity.②order reconstruction and the core values of caring unified. Huntington’s academic thought is inseparable from the reality of American society, it can’t be separated from the needs of American society, and thus inevitably associated with American values and national interests. In Huntington’s view, the early concern of developing countries, political stability and democratic development or practical interests of the judgment of the latter clash of civilizations are facing the United States, the end result is to help the United States in a peaceful environment to the development countries to instill American values.③Huntington’s academic thought experimental traces of the American consciousness and Western discourse theory. Huntington’s academic writings are mostly given at the end of discourse point theory suggests, the fundamental starting point of these proposals is the interests of the United States, the end-result naturally the interests of the United States, then, this way, his academic research looks more like have a U.S. the guidance of consciousness and the discourse of Western theoretical experiments on a real problem given,④social background and academic research, the close interaction between of Huntington academic thought a consistent principle. As a theorist of realism, the Huntington’s academic research and the relevance of social reality is often very close, the academic thought of each change or evolution of the night must be accompanied by deep-seated problems of social concern in the time change. This interaction is the formation of another prominent feature of Huntington’s academic thought, namely, the strong response and explanatory.Again, Huntington’s academic thought in the Chinese context has its own special experience. Any idea only placed in the specific context in order to find its real value, to a deeper understanding of this context with this idea. Huntington academic thinking in the Chinese context to set off two controversial climax. Once is neo-authoritarianism respected it at the end of the 1980s, another is "clash of civilizations" caused widespread debate in the last decade of the twentieth century. The two controversial climax can be seen as the Chinese scholars at different times on different interpretations of the thought of Huntington academic.As famous contemporary political thinkers in the United States, Samuel Huntington’s academic thought is a good representative of their overall academic thought combing and contextual analysis provides the possibility for us to more accurately grasp the intrinsic Implications of academic thought. Meanwhile, in a study on the Huntington academic thinking, I have also some reflection. Chinese scholars, on the ideological realm of exotic use of them should choose the more cautious, not without hesitation accepting or deny. In addition, the course of Huntington’s academic establish a template, the humanities and social scientists should be the social reality in which to maintain the close attention given to research on the basis of a positive response to social issues, humanities and social scientists should have social responsibility.