To Fictionalize the West is to Present the East, and to Fictionalize the East is to Present the West: “I” And “Other” in Occidentalism
Demet KoçyiğitOccidentalism, which has different definitions, in its most concise and general expression, is a scholarly discussion on the East (I) and the West (the Other). This study will draw attention to two approaches of Occidentalism by examining the Eastern and Western perceptions of this concept and understand its differing definitions as well as related discussions. In the first part, in the context of the I– Other relationship, the distinction between the East and the West will be examined. Next, in the context of Occidentalism and Orientalism, the phases of the East–West confrontation will be addressed through the concepts of prejudices, assumptions, ideas, binary contrasts, information production, image, and fiction. In the second part, the study explores the two approaches to the different definitions of Occidentalism and the image of the “I” and the “Other,” presented by the points of departure. By doing this, it will be shown that the first of the two approaches fictionalized the West to present the East and the second fictionalized the East to present the West. In the light of these differences, this study will show how Occidentalism is instrumentalized by the East and the West.
Batı’yı Kurgulamak - Doğu’yu Sunmak, Doğu’yu Kurgulamak - Batı’yı Sunmak: Oksidentalizm’de Ben ve Öteki
Demet KoçyiğitFarklı tanımlamaları mevcut olan Oksidentalizm, en kısa ve genel ifade ile Doğu’nun (Ben) Batı’yı (Öteki) mukayese ederek ve sorgulayarak tartışmasıdır. Bu çalışma, Oksidentalizm’in farklı tanımları ve ilgili tartışmaların anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunmak üzere Oksidentalizm’in Doğu ve Batı algısını inceleyerek iki yaklaşım kanalına dikkat çekecektir. İlk kısımda, Doğu ve Batı ayrımı Ben-Öteki ilişkisi çerçevesinde ele alındıktan sonra önyargılar, varsayımlar, fikirler, ikili zıtlıklar, bilgi üretimi, imaj ve kurgu, özleştirme bağlamında Oksidentalizm ve Oryantalizm’de Doğu-Batı karşılaşmasının aşamalarına değinilecektir. İkinci kısımda farklı Oksidentalizm tanımlarının ve hareket noktalarının sunduğu Ben ve Öteki imajının iki yöne doğru kanalize olduğu gösterilerek iki kanaldan ilkinin Doğu’yu sunmak üzere Batı’yı kurguladığı; ikinci kanalın ise Batı’yı sunmak üzere Doğu’yu kurguladığı iddia edilecek; Oksidentalizm’in bu iki kanalı değerlendirilecektir. Bu tartışmalar doğrultusunda, Oksidentalizm’in Doğu ve Batı tarafından nasıl araçsallaştırıldığı gösterilecektir.
This study focuses on Occidentalism by discussing the relationship of the East and the West by comparing and questioning them both. The perception of the East and the West in Occidentalist thinking depends on the definition of Occidentalism being applied; different definitions have been developed to contribute to the understanding of the related discussion. It is claimed that there are two categories of Occidentalism, which dominate Occidentalist thinking and study. This claim was developed in two parts that represent the intellectual background and arguments about the basic features and issues of Occidentalism. The first part draws attention to the differentiation of the East and the West in the context of I–Other relationships as well as the differentiation of “I” from the “Other”. To that end, the idea of I–Other is examined through the concept of subject–object perception in relation to consciousness as well as self-consciousness, and the idea of conflict. In this regard, the continuum of recognition, comprehension, interpretation and establishment of the “I” as opposed to the “Other” is analyzed based on the concept of identity–difference. Beyond that, Occidentalism and Orientalism are addressed in the context of prejudices, assumptions, ideas, binary contrasts, information production, image and fiction of the phases of the East–West confrontation. It is shown that Occidentalism and Orientalism evaluate their subjects in similar ways, even though they have some distinguishing characteristics. In the second part, the discussion concerns the historical, political and social aspects of the relationship of the East and the West. Further, it is said that this relationship continues by producing identical patterns, and tend to define the difference of I–Other. Hereafter, various definitions of Occidentalism and the image of “I” and the “Other” which is presented using motion points, are channeled in two directions. By doing this, it will be claimed that the first of the two channels fictionalized the West to present the East and; the second fictionalized the East to present the West; additionally, these two categories of Occidentalism will be evaluated. It is said that the first category which keeps the East at the center as “I”, offers to redesign East–West relations. The East implements the West in the construction of “I” through the objectification of the West and thus the subjectification of the East as well as by claiming superiority and dominance over the West to strengthen “I”s identity over the “Other”. Having said that, the position of the Occidentalist understanding is assessed in the terms of colonial and post-colonial critics, ideological criticism regarding traditionalism and nationalist politics, state and non-state policies, modernization processes and criticism of modernism, and the changing power relations. The second category, which keeps the West at the center as “I”, also offers to focus on the identity of the West as “I” in the eyes of the East. Through this, it is said that the West is further strengthened in its identity The last part of this study emphasizes that the concept of the East and the West, which has been shaped by many essentializations in the historical process, tend to reduce the “Other”s diversity to preserve the sustainable state of otherness. So, the East and the West evaluate each other neither as a static viewer nor an objective observer. On the other hand, the study stresses the active/passive or subject/object role in “I” and the “Other”s construct, and they are not determined by definite limits. In the first approach, it is argued that the East has used contrasting powers of representation and functionalized the qualifications of the West by intending to approve the qualifications of “I”. On the contrary, the second approach functions as continuing Orientalism from a different perspective. Occidentalism is instrumentalized by struggling to control power within the society and to determine the power balance in inter-communal relations. This paper discusses the difficulty determining a definition of Occidentalism because of political and cultural influences. It is stressed that Occidentalism can be used as a framework for study of the East and the West if its coherent definition and boundaries are specified. For self-realization of “I” and the “Other”, the emphasis is placed on the necessity of approaching the “Other” as the subject, not as an object. At the same time, it is deemed necessary that comparative studies take into consideration the period and environmental differences. As a result, the study claims that one approach to Occidentalism that is influenced by Orientalism identifies the East to present, represent, and recognize the West; and the other approach identifies the West to present, represent and recognize the East.