Orientalism By Edward Said

Happy-Literature

8 Oct 202208:24

Summary

TLDRThe video script by Rachana Amrithapuri on the Literechanel discusses Edward Said's seminal work 'Orientalism,' published in 1978. It delves into the concept of 'Orientalism' as a field of academic research and a corporate institution, critiquing Western scholars' representation of the East. The script highlights how this misrepresentation has been used to justify Western dominance and colonial policies, shaping a perception of the East as inferior and in need of Western intervention for development. The video promises a deeper exploration of these themes in subsequent episodes, urging viewers to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more.

Takeaways

📚 The video discusses Edward Said's book 'Orientalism,' which was published in 1978 and critiques the representation of the East by Western scholars.
🌏 Orientalism is defined as a field of academic research that includes everyone who teaches, investigates, and writes about the East, conducted by Western scholars.
🔍 Said argues that the knowledge about the East is not generated from actual facts but rather from imagination, creating a Western-style image of Eastern societies.
🤔 The video uses an example of two business plans to illustrate how the West might favor one over the other based on preconceived notions, even if the less favored plan is more profitable.
🏛 Orientalism is also described as a corporate institution for dealing with the Orient, beginning in the 18th century and involving the Western-style domination, restructuring, and exertion of authority over the East.
👥 The term 'Orientalist' refers to professionals who study the East, and this knowledge gives them power and domination over the East, particularly through colonial rule.
🏫 Said criticizes the content representation of the East, suggesting that Western scholars, journalists, fiction writers, and teachers have collectively contributed to an inferior and degenerate image of Eastern culture compared to the West.
👥 The video mentions that Western scholars have used their research to justify imperialist policies, such as the British in Egypt, by claiming to understand and be able to develop the East.
💡 The concept of 'Orientalism' is examined in relation to the relationship between power and knowledge, and how the knowledge of the East has been used to dominate and control it.
📖 The video encourages viewers to take notes for further understanding of the topic and to like the video if they find it useful.
🔄 The video promises to discuss more points related to 'Orientalism' in the next video, inviting viewers to subscribe for more content.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?
-The main topic discussed in the video script is 'Orientalism', a book by Edward Said, and its critique of Western scholarship's representation of Eastern societies.
Who is the author of 'Orientalism'?
-The author of 'Orientalism' is Edward Said.
What year was the book 'Orientalism' published?
-The book 'Orientalism' was published in 1978.
What does the term 'Orientalism' refer to in the context of the video script?
-In the context of the video script, 'Orientalism' refers to the way Western scholars have studied and represented Eastern societies, often with a sense of superiority and misrepresentation.
What is the basic argument of Edward Said in 'Orientalism'?
-Edward Said's basic argument in 'Orientalism' is that the knowledge about the East that Western scholars have generated is not based on actual facts but rather on imagination, creating an image of Eastern societies that is inferior in comparison to the West.
How does Said describe the relationship between power and knowledge in 'Orientalism'?
-Said describes the relationship between power and knowledge in 'Orientalism' by suggesting that the knowledge of the East by Western scholars has been used to justify domination and control over Eastern societies.
What is the role of Western journalists, fiction writers, and scholars in shaping the image of the East according to 'Orientalism'?
-According to 'Orientalism', Western journalists, fiction writers, and scholars have played a significant role in shaping a prejudiced and hostile image of the East, contributing to the Western dominance over Eastern societies.
What does Said argue about the representation of Eastern cultures in Western academic research?
-Said argues that the representation of Eastern cultures in Western academic research is flawed and biased, often portraying them as inferior and in need of Western intervention for development.
How does 'Orientalism' critique Western content depiction of Eastern societies?
-'It Orientalism' critiques Western content depiction of Eastern societies by highlighting how Western scholars have historically misrepresented and stereotyped Eastern cultures, reinforcing Western dominance.
What does the term 'Orient' mean in the context of 'Orientalism'?
-In the context of 'Orientalism', the term 'Orient' refers to the Eastern societies and cultures that have been the subject of Western study and representation, often in a way that reinforces Western power structures.
What is the significance of 'Orientalism' in critical theory and postcolonial studies?
-The significance of 'Orientalism' in critical theory and postcolonial studies is that it challenges the traditional Western perspective on Eastern societies, offering a critical examination of the power dynamics inherent in academic research and cultural representation.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Edward Said's Orientalism

The script introduces the concept of 'Orientalism' from Edward Said's 1978 book, emphasizing the need to understand the term before delving into Said's arguments. It uses the analogy of two business plans being presented to an investor to illustrate how Western scholars have historically represented Eastern societies. The term 'Orientalism' is defined as a study of Eastern societies, languages, history, and arts conducted by Western scholars, which Said argues is not based on actual facts but on imagination. The video promises to cover important topics related to the book, encouraging viewers to watch until the end.

05:01

🌏 Orientalism as Western Dominance Over the East

This paragraph delves deeper into the definition of 'Orientalism' as presented by Edward Said, exploring its implications as a field of academic research and a corporate institution for dealing with the East. It discusses how the term has been used to justify Western dominance over Eastern societies since the 18th century. The video script also touches on the relationship between power and knowledge, suggesting that Western scholars, through their study of the East, have claimed to understand and thus have the right to rule over these societies. The script mentions the example of colonial rulers in India implementing Western education as a form of justifying their rule, and it promises to discuss more points related to Said's 'Orientalism' in the next video.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Orientalism

Orientalism refers to the study of Eastern societies, cultures, languages, history, and arts. In the video, it is defined as a Western academic field that often portrays Eastern societies as inferior to Western ones. Edward Said's book 'Orientalism' critiques this biased representation.

💡Edward Said

Edward Said was a literary scholar who wrote 'Orientalism' in 1978. His book examines how Western scholars have historically depicted Eastern societies. The video discusses Said's argument that Western depictions are based more on imagination than actual facts.

💡Western Scholars

Western scholars are those from Western countries who have studied and written about Eastern societies. According to the video, they have often portrayed the East as inferior to justify Western dominance and colonial policies.

💡Eastern Society

Eastern society includes regions like the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa. The video explains how Orientalism studies these societies but often through a biased Western lens, depicting them as underdeveloped and in need of Western intervention.

💡Imagination vs. Actual Facts

This concept highlights Said's argument that Western knowledge about the East is often based on imaginative constructs rather than factual accuracy. The video provides an example of how Western scholars imagined Eastern societies to be like Western ones but still inferior.

💡Inferior

Inferior is used to describe how Western scholars have often depicted Eastern societies as lesser or backward compared to the West. The video discusses how this perception was used to justify colonialism and Western dominance.

💡Colonial Rule

Colonial rule refers to the control and governance of a territory by a foreign power. In the video, the concept is discussed in the context of how Western powers justified their rule over Eastern societies by deeming them inferior and in need of development.

💡Knowledge and Power

This concept, explored by Edward Said, examines the relationship between knowledge and power. The video explains how Western scholars' knowledge of the East gave them power and justified their dominance over Eastern societies.

💡Middle East

The Middle East is a region often included in studies of Eastern societies within Orientalism. The video discusses how Western scholars have portrayed this region, along with others in Asia and North Africa, as inferior.

💡Bias

Bias refers to the prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another. The video highlights how Western scholars' studies of Eastern societies were biased, portraying them negatively to justify Western superiority and colonialism.

Highlights

Introduction to Edward Said's concept of 'Orientalism' and its significance in understanding the representation of the East by the West.

The importance of understanding the term 'Orientalism' before delving into Said's arguments.

An analogy used to explain how 'Orientalism' works, comparing business plans presented to an investor.

The definition of 'Orientalism' as a study of Eastern society, culture, language, history, and arts conducted by Western scholars.

Critique of Western scholars' representation of Eastern societies as inferior in comparison to the West.

The role of Western journalists, fiction writers, and scholars in shaping the perception of Eastern cultures.

How 'Orientalism' has been used to justify Western imperialist policies and the need for the development of Eastern societies.

The examination of the relationship between power and knowledge in the context of 'Orientalism'.

The argument that the knowledge generated about the East is not based on actual facts but rather on imagination.

The impact of 'Orientalism' on the academic field, including teachers, researchers, and writers.

The corporate institution of 'Orientalism' and its establishment since the 18th century.

The discussion on how Western scholars have dominated, reconstructed, and exerted authority over the East.

The exploration of the relationship between the environment and the representation of the East by Western scholars.

The critique of Western content depiction of Eastern societies and the consequences of such representations.

The examination of how Western scholars have used their research to create a privileged and hostile image of Eastern cultures.

The exploitation of the representation of Eastern societies to justify imperialist policies and practices.

The definition of 'Orientalism' provided by Edward Said in his book, highlighting its multifaceted nature.

A call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and look forward to the next video for further discussion on 'Orientalism'.