Edward Said

Orientalism

1. IDEA 1

   The West invented the East

   Said argues that Western scholars, writers and officials created an image of the Orient, especially the Arab and Muslim world, that reflected Western ideas more than reality. He calls this body of thought Orientalism.

2. IDEA 2

   Knowledge served power

   Said argues that Western knowledge about the East was closely tied to colonial power. Studying a region helped to rule it. In his view, those who described the East often did so for the benefit of rulers.

3. IDEA 3

   Foucault shaped his approach

   Said draws on Michel Foucault's idea of discourse, a system of statements that shapes how things are understood. Orientalism, he argues, was such a system. In his account, this system made certain ways of describing the East seem natural.

All 8 ideas from Orientalism →