Civilizations and Economic Integration

Module: Civilizations, Religions, and Economic Integration. Syllabus:

1. Civilizations in a globalized world
2. The eight major civilizations (economic and religious areas *) and economic integration
3. Economic Area of the African Civilization
   1. West African Economic Area
   2. Central African Economic Area
   3. Southern African Economic Area
   4. East African Economic Area
   5. Maghribian Economic Area (Islamic Civilization)
   6. Interactions of the African Civilization with other civilizations
4. Economic Area of the Hindu Civilization (India)
5. Economic Area of the Sinic Civilization (China)
6. Economic Area of the Buddhist Civilization
7. Economic Area of the Islamic Civilization
   1. Arab Economic Area
   2. Central Eurasian Economic Area
   3. Malay Economic Area
   4. Maghribian Economic Area
   5. African Economic Area (belonging to African Civilization)
   6. Economic Integration of the Islamic Civilization
   7. Interactions of the Islamic Civilization with other civilizations
8. Economic Area of the Western Christian Civilization
   1. European Economic Area (Germany)
   2. American area:
      1. North American Economic Area (the United States)
      2. Latin American Economic Area (Brazil)
      3. Caribbean Economic Area
   3. Economic Area of Oceania
9. Economic Area of the Orthodox Civilization (Russia)
10. Japanese Civilization
11. Integration process between and within civilizations.
12. Economic interrelations among civilizations

(*) Central State (if exist).

Sample of the module - Civilizations, Religions, and Economic Integration

Subject Description - Economic Integration, Civilizations and Religions:

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This study is based on analyzing current relations between civilizations and the process of economic integration, which as shown are closely related (regionalism).

According to the British historian Arnold Toynbee, higher religions (such as Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism), through the Universal Church acted as "Chrysalis" favoring the evolution of civilizations.

This new approach developed by EENI based on the study of economic relations between Civilizations will help the student to understand the state of the World better.

This does not mean that the analysis is based on a proselytizing vision of any religion, or considering one religion better than other. Nowadays it is clear, the relationship between religions, civilizations influenced by them and the current processes of intra- and inter-civilizational economic integration.

The eight major economic - religious areas.

We are witnessing of the consolidation of a new world economic order; regionalism may be displacing in some aspects to globalization. The "local and regional" component is every day more critical, especially in the sphere of business and culture. If we look at the world we can identify eight major cultural - religious - economic areas, eight great civilizations usually led by a Central State and also they have remained unchanged over the centuries.

Four religions with the largest number of followers (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism) today represent 77% of humanity. It is estimated that:

1. 32% of mankind, about 2,200 millions of people is Christian (being also the most globalized religion, average age of all Christians: 30 years)
2. 23% is Muslim (1,600 million, mainly in Asia and Africa. The average age: twenty-three years)
3. 15% is Hindu (average age of twenty-six years) and
4. 7% is Buddhist (average age of 34).

Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, or Sikhism could never become a Universal Church.

Based on the above we could hypothesize the following economic-religious areas:

Western Christian Civilization.

From the point of view of culture and economic integration; we can identify three distinct economic and cultural areas:

1. European
2. American
   1. North American
   2. Latin American
   3. Caribbean
3. Oceania

Islamic Civilization.

1.57 billion people practices Islam (23% of the world's population). Only 15% of Muslims are Arab (the Middle East). 62% of the World's Muslim population lives in Asia and 20% in the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa). 300 million Muslims live in countries where Islam is not the majority religion.

Islamic economic areas:

1. Arab Economic Area: Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia...
2. Central Eurasian Economic Area: Iran, Pakistan, Turkey...
3. Malay Economic Area: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia
4. Maghribian Economic Area: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia...
5. African Economic Area, formed by the Muslim-majority African countries (although it will encompass in the African Civilization)

We can consider two cultural distinct areas.

1. Sunni. With Saudi Arabia as the central state. Within Sunni we can identify three sub-areas:
   1. Arab (the Middle East)
   2. Malay (Southeast Asia)
   3. Turkic (Central Asia)
   4. African
2. Shiite (Persian). Iran is the Central State.

From the cultural point of view, North Africa, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti belongs to the Islamic Civilization (Sunni) and the African Civilization. However, from the point of view of economic integration belongs mainly to the African Civilization.

Sinic Civilization.

The area of influence of the Sinic Civilization covers China (Central State), Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and Singapore. China is also a BRICS country. In China, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism are the main religions. However, surely, Confucianism is the religion that characterizes the Sinic civilization.

Buddhist Civilization.

All scholarships do not accept the existence of the Buddhist Civilization. Since our approach we will consider that there is a Buddhist civilization (or emerging) and can be divided into three economic - cultural areas:

1. Mahayana area
2. Theravada area
3. Lamaist area

Some of these countries can match with the area of influence of the Sinic or the Hindu civilization.

Hindu Civilization.

India is the Central State. India is also a BRICS country. The influence of the Hindu Civilization is notorious in Nepal, Mauritius, Bhutan, and also in East Africa.

Orthodox Civilization.

Orthodox civilization represents 35% of European Christians (200 million). Russia (Central State) alone accounts for 19% of Christians in Europe and nearly 5% of the world's Christians. The Orthodox civilization consists of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, Macedonia, Russia, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.

African Civilization.

The vast majority of Western historians, except Fernand Braudel, have not considered the existence of an African Civilization. However, its existence is evident, as demonstrated by the great Senegalese historian Cheikh Anta Diop.

While Africa tends to integration in a continental free trade area; it is clear that there are five distinct areas:

1. West African Economic Area
2. Central African Economic Area
3. Southern African Economic Area
4. East African Economic Area
5. Maghribian Economic Area

Japanese Civilization.

Some scholars include the Japanese civilization within the Sinic Civilization. However, many scholars think Japan itself is a civilization (a subsidiary of the Sinic Civilization). This civilization existed since the first century CE.

Global Ethics and Business