What is Orientalism? | Edward Said | Keyword

In this episode, I explain Edward Said's approach to Orientalism.

If you want to support me, you can do that with these links:

Twitter: @DavidGuignion
IG: @theory_and_philosophy

[jeremiahzoric]

DUDE I love your summaries so much as a dyselxic it helps me understand the readings much better thank you!

[marybarker]

I tried to teach Said's great nephew how to roll cigarettes once. Looking forward to this video!

[frecklesPG]

I just wanted to let you know that I have listened to this video on Podcasts for the last couple of days because I had to talk about orientalism in my oral exam to gain my degree. And YES it worked! Thank you so much!

[PeteLankston]

Thank you so much David, this has spring-boarded my learning and understanding! Wonderfully explained! Thank you for your channel.

[WeebHead]

Love your content! I am taking the Contemporary Iranian studies PHD course and stumbled upon your channel

[zeenathshabra]

I have watched some of your explanatory videos. They are very clear to understand. Thank you 👍🏻

[rhodesianrichkek]

I hope you grow exponentially! Thanx a lot for your efforts and for putting out such quality content!

[zehrapehlivan]

Very brief and clear introduction to orientalism!! I also watched your other videos for my exams and they helped a lot, so thank you❤

[AttilatheNun-xvkc]

4:45
In Victorian times the Orient was assumed by many westerners to begin somewhere a little to the east of Vienna. That was where, when the wind was right, one could catch a whiff of paprika in the air wafting in from Hungary and where one could be sure that very soon the languages to be encountered would be both exotic and unintelligible .

[syedaliraza]

Hi David! You have got this remarkable talent to explain these complex concepts with an enviable clarity and trenchancy. Can you please give me some insight on how the ordinary students can develop this spirit and what are the sources that they need to exhaust for developing a brick by brick structure of these ideas.

[hakimsebaihi]

The French Orientalism appeared in Egypt during the Napoleonic war with the amount of scientific and academic knowledge and tools before bringing the military according to Said.

[shubhrapathak]

Just a reminder, Pakistan did not exist at the time of British colonialism, it was carved out of the Indian subcontinent at the time of Independence.

[katblack]

This has been helpful to, help me to understand… what’s happening thx

[hevalemin]

There are some massive lapses, contradictions, and empty spots in Said's application of his own idea. In the intro to one edition of Orientalism, Said claims that "the Orient" was (and is) only exploited and colonized because of oil, which wouldn't have happened if it had been, say, fruit. I went back and read the sentence several times, wondering if it was really possible that Said is ignorant of the history of the United Fruit Company or if I was just missing something. I would say for sure there's a Latin America-shaped hole in Said's analysis of colonialism and imperialism. Would recommend anyone reading Said also read Galleano to get a big missing piece of the puzzle.

[marissaluquette]

The little seal baby stuffed animal 🥲Also thank you so much, these reviews have saved my life in my literary theory class this semester!

[Making_pearl_craft]

Hi. Could you please make videos on the 8th 10th 11th chapter of the book schools and styles of Anthropology...

[busterb]

T-minus 17 minutes to my exam watching this lol

[amnamanzoor]

Thanks for this comprehensive video. Don’t you think when we see British colonisation of America through the lense of Orient vs Occident polarisation, those 13 British colonies in America stand at the pole titled “ ORIENT”? Though America lies in the WEST, it was also colonised, suffocated, and prejudiced for decades by British/ Occident. Doesn’t that clearly makes America an Orient?

[andregonzalez]

Middle East then there's Central Asia

[numbersix]

OK, let's see if he's doubling down...(watching)...he's not! Yaay!
Let's listen some more...(watching more)...he's describing how the construction of the Orient applies everywhere else Europeans want to consider to be morally or otherwise inferior! Good!
Oh no! He did it again! 3:40. He's talking about the "near Orient" -- "It is a little bit slippery" -- he's babbling about Arabic and Islam now, he's complaining about Said again! 4:26 He's asking us to watch the same video again! Where only he says what he just repeated! "Said is sloppy." The subtext for this is that our philosopher is working on his PhD!!! How long will he be doing that? Ah God! 4:28. It's over, he's back on track with Said's original concept again. But he seems to be convinced that this is not Said's insight??? But somehow his own? Is it because Said is an Arab? Perhaps it's not a case of possession by Orientalism, maybe it's a mental nervous tic of some kind. 6:00. Now he's explaining Said perfectly in Said's own words, explicitly showing how fundamentally insane it would be for a philosopher who has read Said to imagine that there is a real Orient. Yet there is no apparent self-awareness. Strange. One gets the idea that no apology will be forthcoming.
(watching and listening about the white-Christian imperialist project, mutating from its religious form to its white Christian nationalist racist colonial form)...(listening about alienation and its promulgation through propaganda)...(military aggression)...(capitalism leaves no alternative) 13:09 "I think that democracy's good" -- well, now, there's a comforting statement -- is our man quite alright?
So I guess he really did double down. It seems almost involuntary. No apology seems possible. What are the problems with the geographically untidy Said? That can only be guessed, unprofitably one hopes.

PS. I would request Franz Fanon next. Here is a documentary about Edward Said and his experience as a Palestinian refugee: