Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations. Amy Chua, Penguin US. 2019. 293 pages.

Abstract

In Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations (2019), Professor Amy Chua offers a sobering diagnosis of modern politics: that identity, not ideology or economics, is the fundamental driver of human behavior and political destiny. The book is both a critique of American liberal universalism and an exposition of how group loyalties—whether ethnic, religious, cultural, or class-based—continue to shape political outcomes around the world. For Chua, the repeated failure of U.S. foreign interventions and the deepening polarization within its own borders can be traced to a persistent blindness toward these primal group instincts. This article critically examines Chua’s thesis by analyzing the philosophical foundations of her argument, assessing its empirical validity, and questioning its relevance to societies such as Malaysia. It provides a distinctive perspective that transcends conventional critiques of American arrogance and examines the epistemological and civilizational premises that inform Chua’s worldview. This review emphasizes the Southeast Asian experience, specifically the Malaysian context, to offer an alternate interpretation of political tribalism—recognizing its influence while highlighting its institutional controllability and transformational capacity.