Orientalism

Orientalism reveals why false Western assumptions about Eastern countries have prevailed for over 200 years and how they still affect how we view the Eastern world today.

Orientalists, or “experts” on the Orient, misidentified this part of the world. They classified these countries initially as a way to approach and understand them. The false belief sprouted that people from these areas were stereotypically exotic and irrational, letting their passions run wild. But nobody knew for sure, and the lies continued to perpetuate further.

When we study something, we get positive results, right? In the case of the Orient, studying it had the opposite effect by reinforcing the subjugation many of these areas were under. What began as a form of understanding quickly grew into a means for political and economic gain.

Napoleon, for example, led an expedition to Egypt that included over 150 scientists and scholars. These later became Orientalists who protected trade between Egypt and France. They portrayed the Koran to characterize the French army’s influence as advantageous to this Oriental nation.

Orientalism even went so far as to set itself up as a judge of what the people of the Orient were or weren’t. The Orientalist authorities claimed to know more about these parts of the world than the people who lived there did. And the more the West learned about their Eastern neighbors, the greater their power and dominance over the Orient was.

Not long ago I went on a trip to Spain. I found myself wanting to spend time with the locals instead of at all of the tourist destinations. After visits with multiple friends in Spain and seeing the sights, I realized that the people were much more interesting and important to me than any building or museum. Orientalists of the 19th century similarly wanted to get to know the culture of these regions. Unfortunately, it was much harder to actually see and experience the culture accurately because of the Orientalist way of thinking. Edward Lane was one of these that sought to really know the people of the East. His immersion in the daily life of Orientals was his way of understanding them. After this experience, he withdrew to what he knew so he could report on his discoveries. However, the true nature of these regions was lost in the fog of Orientalist nuances surrounding these cultures. Lumping people together into categories like Oriental, Arab, or Jew, for example, did help people understand this part of the world. Sadly, because of this characterization method, much of the diversity within individuals in these nations was lost. It also kept everyone from seeing these people accurately. The common notion was that Orientals were irrational. Upon discovering…