This book begins with a critical survey of current debates on the "clash of civilizations," goes on to discuss classical and contemporary approaches to civilizational theory, and concludes with an outline of a conceptual framework for comparative analysis.

Johann P. Arnason, Dr.Habil. (1975) in Sociology, University of Bielefeld, is Professor of Sociology at La Trobe University, Melbourne. He has published extensively on social theory and historical sociology, including Social Theory and Japanese Experience: The Dual Civilization (Kegan Paul International, 1997).