Orientalism from Said's Point of View

Orientalism from Said's Point of View

Orientalism is a kind of concept, which is deeply discussed in the hypothesis written by Edward W. Said. In his hypothesis, he argues the broad meanings of the concept of Orientalism. He indicates that Orientalism has three different meanings.

He, firstly, starts with the idea of Orientalism in an academic way. He tells that Orientalism is an academic study. He believes that, it does not matter who the person is, the ones who writes, researches or give lectures about Orient is an Orientalist. There is a high prejudice towards the concept of Orientalism, because the notion is too vague and it reminds people the despot attitudes of the European colonialism. That's why people stay away from using this concept. However, the old and the newly Orientalist, writes and gives lectures about the topic of "The Orient". The important thing is that, even though people hesitate to use the notion of Orientalism, it is still live on the academic stuffs such as the doctrines and theses about Orient and Oriental.

Secondly, Said indicates that Orientalism is a style of thought that is based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between the "Orient" and "Occident". These are a kind of cultural stereotypes, which are produced by the

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human beings. The occident is used to represent the Western countries and the Orient is used for the countries in the Middle and the Far East. Said believes that the concept of being Orient is designed by the accidental mind in order to make them others. He also adds that starting to write a book with accepting the distinction between the West and the east is also means to contribute this distinction, which is done by most writes included by the poets, novelists, philosophers, political theorists, economists.

The final meaning he serves is more historical and material than the first two of them. If people take the eighteenth century as a starting point, Orientalism can be considered as the corporate institution, which is primarily concerned with Orient. He believes that it is impossible to find out the European discipline, which can manage and produce the Orient in political, sociological, ideological, scientific way without considering Orientalism as discourse. Orientalism has a dominant role, hence the ones, who write, think, give lecture about Orient cannot ignore the limitations of the Orientalism. That's why it is impossible to think Orient without the limitations of Orientalism. It is not mean that Orientalism is able to define everything about Orient, however they should be in the same skeleton in order to be meaningful.

In conclusion, Orientalism has three