Introduction: The Civilization of Modernity and the Modernity of Civilizations

`Civilization' has been a contested term since its inception in the 18th century. However, after the pioneering studies of Weber and Mauss, civilizational analysis dropped from sight in major reference works. The present issue is an endeavor to recapture the significance on the contemporary scene of civilizations and their dynamics as macro-units of analysis. Attention is given to the trio of `second generation' figures, Sorokin, Elias and Nelson, and to more recent conceptualizations, including the controversial thesis of Huntington.