This paper aims at explaining the origins of a belief in Western supremacy and the development and aftermaths of a Eurocentric intellectual history that has cut out the representation of non-western countries for an immense period of time. The underlying thesis goes as follows: Western supremacy prevents a Global Intellectual History in terms of an imperialist and racist attitude towards non-Western cultures.
The belief in western supremacy has enshrined in tradition for endless centuries, especially when considering its origin within the Colonial Era and the ongoing dragging evolution that has not found a pleasing outcome ever since. Yet recent protests and intellectual movements have proven that our modern multicultural society is not accepting these colonialist ideologies for any longer: The Black Lives Matter movement, for example, has evoked empathy for the life of black citizens in the West, who are experiencing not only injustice but violence, due to their origin, religion and skin tone.
Unfortunately, the mistaken conviction that being a citizen of a superior nation has continued to exist in the western world; Europe’s rise of political right-wing parties demonstrates a world view which aspires to be a western one only. Thus, the political situation inside Europe, especially the refugee policy, has created resentment against a multicultural society. Moreover, the resurgence of anti-immigrant and nationalist sentiment depict the renewed urgency of non-Western intellectuals within minority positions and multicultural backgrounds. Their works challenge the idea of a home-grown, national, even colonialist literary and philosophy tradition inside the Western World. In other words, the idea of an international globalized history helps us, in order to gain transnational understanding of contemporary problems, including racial equality, poverty and cultural rights. In detail, they allow a representation that differs respectively from a Eurocentric point of view.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Creation of Eurocentrism
2.1 Theories on Imperialism
2.2 Origins of Racism
2.3 Concepts of Eurocentrism
3. ‘Orientalism (1978)’ by Edward W. Said
3.1 Defining ‘Orientalism’
3.2 Thesis
3.3 Reflection of Imperialism and Racism
3.4 Michel Foucault’s Model of Power/Knowledge
4. Global Intellectual History
4.1 Defining the Post-Colonial
4.2 Pan-Africanism
4.3 Pan-Islamism
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the development and persistence of a Eurocentric worldview that has marginalized non-Western perspectives in intellectual history. The primary goal is to demonstrate how Western supremacy, rooted in the legacy of colonialism, imperialism, and racist ideologies, has systematically obstructed the possibility of a truly global intellectual discourse. By engaging with Edward W. Said’s foundational text and post-colonial studies, the work seeks to analyze the mechanisms of power and knowledge that maintain these exclusionary structures.
- Analysis of the origins of Eurocentrism and its intersection with imperialist and racist ideologies.
- Critique of Western intellectual dominance and the construction of the 'Orient' as a man-made concept in Edward W. Said’s work.
- Application of Michel Foucault’s theory of power/knowledge to understand the perpetuation of colonialist structures.
- Examination of modern intellectual movements, including Pan-Africanism and Pan-Islamism, as challenges to Western universalism.
- Exploration of how historical, post-colonial, and neo-slave narratives contribute to redefining contemporary cultural identities.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 Reflection of Imperialism and Racism
The theme of imperialism and racism is specifically discussed in Chapter 2: Orientalist Structures and Restructures, in the sub-chapter IV. Pilgrims and Pilgrimages, British and French. Edward Said argues that the European travellers who wrote about their experiences in the orient, edited those regarding the European sensibility. Hence, “everything about the Orient -or at least Lane’s Orient-in Egypt- exuded dangerous sex, threatened hygiene and domestic seemliness (…)’’.26 Besides the “seemingly perverse morality’’, the Orient confronted the European settlers with beautiful antiquity and unbelievable landscapes. Various poets attempted on this beauty, without having experienced it, in order to portray the Orient in a more innocent way. Therefore, the Orient was seen as a form of “release, a place of original opportunity, as well as boundless and younger than we Europeans’’.27 Moreover, the idea of pilgrimage was the basis of Orientalist writing and offered endless fantasies for the Orientalist to write. This style of writing put the “large, incredibly fecund Orient’’ into a gauntlet that prevented the European society from the ’true Orient’ and enabled the scholars regarding their aesthetical staging it.28
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the research within modern multicultural debates and defines the thesis that Western supremacy inhibits the development of a genuine Global Intellectual History.
2. The Creation of Eurocentrism: This section provides a theoretical overview of the historical roots of European expansion, slavery, and the scientific development of hierarchical concepts of race and Eurocentrism.
3. ‘Orientalism (1978)’ by Edward W. Said: This chapter analyzes Said's definition of Orientalism as an academic and cultural discourse, exploring the power dynamics and the man-made construction of the East in Western thought.
4. Global Intellectual History: This chapter explores the field of Post-Colonial Studies and how movements such as Pan-Africanism and Pan-Islamism challenge the notion of a purely Western-centered intellectual history.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the main findings, reiterating how the persistence of colonialist mentalities prevents a globalized understanding and emphasizing the importance of diverse intellectual perspectives.
6. Bibliography: This chapter lists the scholarly sources and literature consulted for this analysis.
Keywords
Eurocentrism, Western Supremacy, Edward W. Said, Orientalism, Imperialism, Racism, Post-Colonialism, Michel Foucault, Power/Knowledge, Global Intellectual History, Pan-Africanism, Pan-Islamism, Colonial Era, Neo-Slave Narratives, Cultural Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper examines the historical development of Western supremacy and Eurocentric attitudes, investigating how these ideologies have prevented a true Global Intellectual History from emerging by marginalizing non-Western cultures.
What are the central themes explored?
The main themes include the legacy of European colonialism and imperialism, the construction of racist stereotypes, the role of intellectual traditions in maintaining power, and the post-colonial challenges to Western dominance.
What is the primary thesis of the work?
The thesis posits that Western supremacy, manifested through imperialist and racist attitudes, actively obstructs a Global Intellectual History by constructing an exclusionary narrative that privileges Western perspectives over all others.
Which scientific methodologies are utilized in this investigation?
The paper employs a qualitative, analytical approach, drawing on theoretical frameworks such as post-colonial theory, discourse analysis, and an evaluation of historical texts to critique dominant intellectual structures.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body integrates history and theory, moving from the origins of Eurocentrism and racism to a critical analysis of Edward Said’s Orientalism, followed by a discussion on how modern movements like Pan-Africanism challenge these inherited colonial structures.
Which keywords define this paper?
Key terms include Eurocentrism, Imperialism, Orientalism, Post-Colonialism, Power/Knowledge, and Western supremacy.
How is Foucault’s model of 'Power/Knowledge' relevant to Said's findings?
The paper uses Foucault’s framework to illustrate how the production of knowledge in the West is inextricably linked to the exercise of power and political dominance over the East, thereby validating the colonial enterprise.
How do 'Neo-Slave Narratives' contribute to the author's argument?
These narratives serve as examples of how contemporary literature helps redefine cultural identities and teach a more truthful history, allowing marginalized voices to reclaim their stories from the structures of colonialist memory.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Jana Olejniczak (Autor:in), 2022, Of Preventing a Eurocentric Global History. The Reflection of Western Imperialism and Racism in Edward W. Said’s "Orientalism", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1273664
