---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is my hypothesis that the fundamental…"
description: "\"“It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divis..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg"
---

#  It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of…

![“It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation-states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs…” quote by Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg)

> ““It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation-states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.””

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Future global conflicts will stem mainly from cultural differences rather than ideology or economics, with civilizations becoming the primary fault lines.

**In simple terms:** Culture will drive future wars, not ideas or money.

Key Takeaway

Watch cultural tensions, not just politics.

Themes

culture conflict global politics civilizations geopolitics

Mood

concerned analytical serious

Type

theoretical predictive political

When to use this quote

- foreign policy planning
- international diplomacy
- multicultural societies
- education curricula
- media analysis

Key Concepts

clash of civilizations identity politics civilizational theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can nations mitigate cultural clashes?
- What policies reduce civilizational tensions?

A Different Perspective

Cultural conflicts may be intertwined with economic and ideological factors, complicating simple predictions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Clash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clash/) [Clash of civilizations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clash-of-civilizations/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Humankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humankind/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [Throughout the Arab and Islamic world the feeling is that we are now in top gear for a war of civilizations, a clash of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/husain-haqqani/throughout-the-arab-and-islamic-world-the-feeling-is-that-we-are-now/)

[Husain Haqqani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/husain-haqqani/)

> [I said I didn't respect religion... and anyone who believes in fairy tales to answer questions that we can't answer... So I don't respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-said-i-didn-t-respect-religion-and-anyone-who-believes-in-fairy/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [I think that one of the things that is happening in the so-called "clash of civilizations" is that the confidence that was once obvious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toback/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-that-is-happening-in-the-so-called/)

[James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toback/)

> [I reject the idea that there is some sort of existential "clash of civilizations." I am an interventionist, but not a militarist. War should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-henri-levy/i-reject-the-idea-that-there-is-some-sort-of-existential-clash-of/)

[Bernard-Henri Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-henri-levy/)

> [“Because history always teaches us that there will always be another demonized minority group who will become “the other” tomorrow. Our human race seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsalan-iftikhar/because-history-always-teaches-us-that-there-will-always-be-another/)

[Arsalan Iftikhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsalan-iftikhar/)

> [ I can hardly believe what these 12 caricatures \[about Prophet Muhammad\] have caused in the world. We Danes feel like we have been placed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-can-hardly-believe-what-these-12-caricatures-about-prophet-muhammad/)

[Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/)

> [I do believe that the future of civilization belongs to those who would lay emphasis on working together instead of talking about clash of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manmohan-singh/i-do-believe-that-the-future-of-civilization-belongs-to-those-who/)

[Manmohan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manmohan-singh/)

> [I do not think there is such a thing as a "clash of civilizations." When I say that Muslims as Muslims cannot be represented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talal-asad/i-do-not-think-there-is-such-a-thing-as-a-clash-of-civilizations-when/)

[Talal Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talal-asad/)

> [We don't have a great clash of civilizations, a clash of ideologies, a clash of alternative models, where governments thought to themselves, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-don-t-have-a-great-clash-of-civilizations-a-clash-of-ideologies-a/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [Promises controversy on a scale not seen since Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations sought to reframe a new world order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-halper/promises-controversy-on-a-scale-not-seen-since-samuel-huntington-s/)

Stefan Halper

> [I hate the tribal hatred thesis - in Yugoslavia and Rwanda and places like that they kill each other because that's just what people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payam-akhavan/i-hate-the-tribal-hatred-thesis-in-yugoslavia-and-rwanda-and-places/)

[Payam Akhavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payam-akhavan/)

> [I don't actually believe in a clash of civilizations. I believe in a clash of the civilized and the noncivilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-don-t-actually-believe-in-a-clash-of-civilizations-i-believe-in-a/)

[Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/)

> [Being in a rock n' roll group, or being a musician, it is in conflict in some serious cultural ways with being an observant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/being-in-a-rock-n-roll-group-or-being-a-musician-it-is-in-conflict-in/)

[Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/)

> [Civilizations may clash, but they surely fall if robbed of light from above. It could come from the 1 percent or the 99%, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-forbes/civilizations-may-clash-but-they-surely-fall-if-robbed-of-light-from/)

[James A. Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-forbes/)

> [Quite obviously power will continue to play a central role in global politics as it always does. But usually there is something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/quite-obviously-power-will-continue-to-play-a-central-role-in-global/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## More by Samuel P. Huntington

> [Countries will cooperate with each other, and are more likely to cooperate with each other when they share a common culture, as is most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/countries-will-cooperate-with-each-other-and-are-more-likely-to/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Also, of course, for most of this time most Americans thought of America as a white country with, at best, only a very segregated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/also-of-course-for-most-of-this-time-most-americans-thought-of/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [These transnationalists have little need for national loyalty, view national boundaries as obstacles that thankfully are vanishing, and see national governments as residues from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/these-transnationalists-have-little-need-for-national-loyalty-view/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Civilizations evolve over time, and most scholars of civilization, including people like Carol Quigley, argue that they go through periods of warring states, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/civilizations-evolve-over-time-and-most-scholars-of-civilization/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [First of all, we haven't always welcomed immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/first-of-all-we-haven-t-always-welcomed-immigrants/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Hispanics speak Spanish or Portuguese, which are languages we Americans are familiar with, so it doesn't seem to pose the same types of problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/hispanics-speak-spanish-or-portuguese-which-are-languages-we/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Israel has military capabilities including nuclear weapons, far surpassing any other power in the Middle East, but it's a small country. The rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/israel-has-military-capabilities-including-nuclear-weapons-far/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [America doesn't border on Muslim countries. European countries do and that seems to be a fundamental difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/america-doesn-t-border-on-muslim-countries-european-countries-do-and/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Except under rare circumstances, I don't write responses to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/except-under-rare-circumstances-i-don-t-write-responses-to-criticism/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Religiosity distinguishes America from most other Western societies. Americans are also overwhelmingly Christian, which distinguishes them from many non-Western peoples. Their religiosity leads Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/religiosity-distinguishes-america-from-most-other-western-societies/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Both sides are divided and Western countries collaborate with Muslim countries and vice versa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/both-sides-are-divided-and-western-countries-collaborate-with-muslim/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [ Some Westerners \[…\] have argued that the West does not have problems with Islam but only with violent Islamist extremists. Fourteen hundred years of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/some-westerners-have-argued-that-the-west-does-not-have-problems-with/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [What are the prospects for an Arab state serving a leading role comparable to the role that other states place in other regions? There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/what-are-the-prospects-for-an-arab-state-serving-a-leading-role/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

> [Obviously there are divisions within the West and divisions within Islam - there are different sects, different communities, different countries. So neither one is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/obviously-there-are-divisions-within-the-west-and-divisions-within/)

[Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

[Explore all 109 Samuel P. Huntington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/)

## More Actors quotes

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/)

[Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/)

> [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/)

[Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/)

[Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/)

> [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/)

[Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/)

> [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/)

[Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/)

> [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/)

[Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/)

> [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/)

[Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/)

> [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/)

[Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/)

[Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation-states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Samuel P. Huntington"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental-source-of-conflict-in-this/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental-source-of-conflict-in-this/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c08/samuel-p-huntington-4547_actors_it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental_922723.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily…” — Samuel P. Huntington",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Samuel P. Huntington",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“It is my hypothesis that the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental-source-of-conflict-in-this/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/it-is-my-hypothesis-that-the-fundamental-source-of-conflict-in-this/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
