Modernity, Orientalism, and the Construction of International Relations (original) (raw)
Related papers
Modernity and colonialism: on the historical-sociological blindness of the theories of modernity
2017
This paper criticizes the historical-sociological blindness found in contemporary theories of modernity (as in those of Weber and Habermas) in order both to construct a sociological model for the process of Western modernization and to formulate a normative notion of cultural modernity which can favor the development of a critical social theory which is correlatively sociological and philosophical. The historical-sociological blindness regarding the theoretical-political reconstruction of the process of Western modernization is basically characterized by the separation between European cultural modernity and European social-economic modernization, which leads to the notion that European culture is not directly linked to social and economic modernization. Likewise, Western modernization is fundamentally an autonomous and endogenous constitutive process, bearing no correlation with other cultures-societies, as seen in the lack of references to the fact of colonialism. Such a separatio...
"Coloniality, modernity, decoloniality A new introduction to the second edition of *Unbecoming Modern*, 2019
In this new introduction, we propose to undertake three tasks. Each of these moves imaginatively extends and critically supplements the discussion in the earlier introduction to the volume. These considerations crucially concerned the pressing requirements of: (1) historically grounding colonialisms; (2) adequately specifying the terms of modernity; and (3) prudently addressing the imperatives of power and difference in critical endeavor. Unsurprisingly, on offer ahead are deeper historical specifications of colonial cultures, succinct understandings of the contradictions of modernity as well as the contentions of its subjects, and prudent readings of de-colonial claims. These themes are reflected in the title of this introductory essay. After this prologue, they are presented as an act in three scenes, followed by an epilogue.
The End of Colonialism? The Colonial Modern in the Making of Global Modernity
Over the last decade, discourses of globalization and postcoloniality have diminished the value of the concept of colonialism not only for the present but for our understanding of the past. The history of the last five hundred years has been reworked as a march toward globality, and the power relations that shaped global history have disappeared into localized contin-I am grateful to a number of friends and colleagues for taking the time to read and comment on this article. Their advice and encouragement were much appreciated, even when
Western Modernity: The Origin, Development and the Limitation
Science Publishing Group, 2022
The paper attempts to investigate the historical origin, development and the limitation of the western modernity. It pursues why and how the western modernity was developed from eighteen centuries to twenties centuries. While discussing early chronological, sociological and political developments of the western modernity it requires the separation of the state from the religious autocracy and the establishment of technology based industrial society. The early modernity shaped western countries from traditional society to industrialization made surplus of products that tended them to establish colonialism in Asia, Africa and Latin American countries. However, the changing structural politico-economic system provide classical theories of modernity which installed US hegemony in East Asian and East European countries as colonization was established in non-western countries. On the other hand, the proponent of post-colonial theory of modernity negates the colonial theory as it is being forcibly imposed by the western colonizers upon the non-western people. But all are the theories of the modernity: pro-western, post-colonial, post-modernist and environmental approach are the expressions of their ideological structures but have the limitations within the structure. The article identified all the theories of modernity failed to suggest a realistic solution to the global problems.
Historical Colonialism in Contemporary Perspective
Public Culture, 2002
Imperialism and colonialism insistently intrude upon political and cultural discussion despite the disappearance of imperialism from political language except as a term of critical approbation, and formal repudiation of colonialism as a legitimate or acceptable practice in world politics. Within the context of an international order based upon globally recognized norms of national sovereignty, the relationships these terms refer to seem much more problematic than they were in the heyday of a Euromodern order in the early twentieth century, when "empire" was born as a badge of honor, and colonial possessions were proudly displayed in world's fairs as signs of civilizational ascendancy. 1 As imperialism and colonialism were disavowed after 1945, the persistence of the inequalities they had shaped and the struggles of postcolonial states for development rendered them much more complicated as concepts than simple descriptions of domination and submission, Scholarship on imperialism and colonialism, especially the latter, has proliferated since the early 1950s, albeit with fluctuations in interest, as well as shifting pardigms. 2 The relationships suggested by those terms, and how we understand them, have been blurred further by economic and cultural globalization, which may account for the extensive interest in the subject the last two decades.
Modernity and the West: Evolution of Their Relationship
The article tries to give ‘a definition’ and an evaluation of modernity, and analyze historical evolution of its relationship with the West. Modernity emerged as a European success; as the USA became a major actor in the global affairs moder-nity evolved from being a European project to a project that has a strong associa-tion with the West. Today, the relative weight of the West in conceptualization of the modernity is strongly debated. ‘The West’ is not monolithic; it is a ‘constructed concept’ rather than a natural entity. Still, the West represents a certain type of society and level of development. It is still possible to argue that there is a strong association between modernity with the West. Clearly, modernity and the West can-not be identified and efforts to reach new conceptualizations of modernity which al-lows to valuable contributions from the voices, legacies and new experiences in the non-Western contexts are important to reach a more accurate understanding of global modernity. The articles also argue that it is possible to see the rise of Europe and the West as a historical phase and many non-Westerners think that it is achiev-able to regain the lead from the West. Nevertheless, it is concluded, the West still enjoys a dominant position in conceptualization of modernity. Perhaps, this is more so when looked from the regions that witnesses practical dominance of the West. Key Words: Modernity, West, History of Modernity
Contexto Internacional: journal of global connections, 2019
This article examines a key element of the power relations underpinning international politics, namely coloniality. It delineates the coloniality of international politics, and elucidates the fundamental aspects of its operationalisation on the one hand, and its crystallisation into international politics on the other. The article is structured into three sections. First, it explores the meaning of coloniality, and outlines its fundamental characteristics. Next, it delineates a crucial operative element of coloniality, the idea of race, and the double movement through which coloniality is rendered operational-the colonisation of time and space. Finally, the article analyses two structuring problematisations that were fundamental to the crystallisation of coloniality in international politics the work of Francisco de Vitoria, and the Valladolid Debate. It argues that the way in which these problematisations framed the relationship between the European Self and the ultimate Other of Western modernity-the indigenous peoples in the Americas-crystallised the pervasive role of coloniality in international politics.
Coloniality: the darker side of Western modernity
An article written for the Catalog of the exhibit, Modernologies, MACBA (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Barcelona). It became the title of one of my books. And it is also an earlier expression of my interests in museums, arts and decolonial aesthesis.