Samuel Huntington (1927-2008) and the intellectual history of the 20th century

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Samuel Huntington was an authoritative figure in American political science – and an unorthodox public intellectual. From the beginning of his career in the 1950s until his death in 2008, he was at the forefront of intellectual discussions about the challenges of postcolonial state-building, conflicts in American society, conceptions of global order, and the role of the United States in the world. His work proved deeply polarizing and has remained so to this day – while many hailed him as a clairvoyant observer, others disparaged his books as ideological pamphlets lacking empirical depth. This controversial reception notwithstanding, Huntington crucially shaped American political science and pursued his career in constant proximity to the centers of political power. The Harvard professor became active in a number of privately funded think tanks and government bodies, advised various American governments, and provided expertise in debates on political reform in countries such as Brazil and South Africa.This project aims to provide the first comprehensive historical study of Huntington’s intellectual biography, examining his political thought as well as his work as an expert and the reception of his writings. The study will analyze in depth how the political scientist developed his worldview and crafted his interpretations of momentous social and global transformations. Moreover, the project will pay close attention to the formative influence that his academic environment and his manifold experiences as a political advisor had on his thought. Finally, to assess Huntington’s significance as a public intellectual his work needs to be placed in the defining social and political debates of his time.Explaining Huntington’s thought and career may help to expand our understanding of political and academic developments in the United States in several ways. Since he served as an advisor for both Democratic and Republican administrations over the course of several decades, his biography sheds light on the persistence of consensus in policy circles even while the political camps grew increasingly divided. Furthermore, Huntington emerged as a visionary thinker in the debates about the nature of global order after the Cold War, which have received scant attention among historians. The proposed biographical study offers a chance to historicize these debates and to use them as a fresh vantage point to rethink the intellectual history of the twentieth century. Finally, Huntington was part of an international community of experts as well as an intellectual of worldwide renown. Tracing his academic career thus opens a window into the transnational entanglements of the American intellectual scene.