In this text, the author argues that as people increasingly define themselves by
ethnicity and religion, the West will find itself more and more at odds with no
n-western civilizations that reject its ideals of democracy, human rights, liber
ty, the rule of law, and the separation of the church and state. Picturing a fut
ure of accelerated conflict and increasingly "de-Westernized" international rela
tions, this text further argues for greater understanding of non-western civiliz
ations and offers strategies for maximizing Western influence.
