Course Description: This course will study discourses on Orientalism and Colonialism (and Post-Colonial Theory) in light of the ideas of 20th Century philosophers. The course aims to be interdisciplinary, incorporating anthropology, politics, history and philosophy. Our general question will be how philosophical discourse influences interactions among cultures. Specifically, I want to investigate the relationship between Modern philosophy (and science) and European Colonialism. What conceptual backgrounds inform particular ways of understanding culture? Is European philosophy necessarily a "dominating" discourse? Finally, how can one understand "our" current preoccupation with multi-culturalism and pluralism in light of "our" history? Even though neither Orientalism nor Colonialism are considered to be "popular" anymore as descriptive terms, they still determine the relationship between the West and the East. In this seminar we will learn the historical, political, social and ethical background of Colonialism and Orientalism in order to assess how much they are still very much at work today. At a time when the Western countries feel the need, and even willingness to learn about other cultures, and their ways of thinking, a study of how different cultures interacted in the past is inevitable. Not only has the West defined the East as its Other, and constituted its identity in opposition to the East, but also the knowledge the West produced about the East became a tool for the East to understand its own identity in the form of "self-colonization." There is, therefore, a very difficult question of representation to be addressed. How is the East represented in the West? How do so called "scientific and scholarly" works contribute to the formation of concrete policies? The general aim of this course is to investigate how very complex social, political, historical and philosophical ideas contribute to the ways in which we perceive those who are other than us.
Required Texts: (available
in the Earlham College bookstore)
Martin Heidegger. The
Question Concerning Technology
Michel Foucault. Discipline
and Punishment
Edward Said. Orientalism,
Timothy Mitchell. Colonizing
Egypt
In addition to these texts,
I will provide photocopied material from Jacques Derrida, Gayatri Spivak,
Homi Bhabha, etc
Course Requirement and
Evaluation:
You are expected to write
three short papers (5-6
page) and one long paper
(10-12 page). I will
provide paper topics for each assignment. You are also allowed to decide
on your own topic provided that you discuss your topic with me at least
a week before the deadline. Along with the paper topics I will also provide
specific guidelines for each topic. Besides this, for every paper (including
papers on topics of your own choice) you are responsible for following
the general guidelines provided. (See "Comments and Suggestions for Papers").
For each week, two students
will work together in order to prepare a two paged
(single-spaced) protocol of the material discussed during the previous
week. A protocol is a carefully edited summary of the previous class sessions
written in full sentences. Protocols
will be photocopied by the student who wrote it and handed out to all students
at the beginning of each Tuesday to be read aloud, and will serve as a
cumulative record of the course. The
students who prepare the protocol should come to class a couple of minutes
early, so that the protocols will have been distributed at the beginning
of the class (i.e., at 1:00). In addition to reviewing the material covered
in the previous class, the protocol should include announcements made in
class, questions raised, and, if possible, future questions for the material
to come. The best protocols will be those that do not simply reproduce
verbatim everything that was said during class, but those that rearrange
the material thematically, editing out what was unimportant, and emphasizing
what was significant. The point of this is not only to get you to work
together, but also to allow you to think during class, and not just take
notes; because someone will be taking notes for you, you can concentrate
on the ideas being presented, and participate without having to write frantically.
Also you will have a summary of every class which will help you with writing
papers.
Your grade will be calculated
according to the following distribution: Paper I: 15%, Paper II: 15%, Paper
III: 15%, Paper IV: 30%, Protocol: 15%, Class Participation and Attendance:
10%.
Class participation and
attendance:
There will be no final examination.
Indeed, there will be no exams in this course. However, in order to make
sure that you are doing the reading, I may give in class quizzes. The success
of this course is dependent upon your contribution. In order for all of
us to have a good course your individual contribution will be needed. Given
the size of the class, missing a session will be very disruptive for all
of us. Consequently, you should feel a responsibility not only to me, but
also to your friends in this course. I am not inclined to legislate strict
attendance policies, however, if you miss more than four sessions you will
fail this course.
Our sessions will start
at 1:00 pm. Students are expected to come on time. Walking into the classroom
while the session is in progress is extremely disruptive for everybody;
so is walking out while the session is in progress. I ask you not to do
these.
Office hours are for students
to discuss ideas, assignments and questions. You are encouraged and welcome
to come by my office or make appointments for times other than scheduled
office hours. You should take advantage of office hours and appointments
not simply to discuss your papers (you are obviously welcome to do that
too) but also to understand ideas, and texts discussed in class.
Calendar:
There may be some modifications
to this calendar. It is your responsibility to be aware of these changes.
These changes may be announced in class. If you miss a class you should
make sure that you are informed about the assignments for the next session.
Week 1: January 14: Introduction
Week 2: January 18-21: Heidegger.
"The Age of the World Picture"
Week 3: January 25-28: Heidegger.
"Science and Reflection"
Week 4: February 1-4: Foucault.
Discipline and Punish
Week 5: February 8-11: Foucault.
Discipline and Punish
Week 6: February 15-18:
Foucault. Discipline and Punish.............First Paper Due
Week 7: February 22: Said.
Orientalism
Week 8: February 29 March
3: Said. Orientalism
Week 9: March 7-10: Said.
Orientalism
Week 10: March 14-17: Said.
Orientalism........................................Second Paper
Due
Spring Break: March 20-24:
Week 11: March 28-31: Mitchell.
Colonizing Egypt
Week 12: April 4-7: Mitchell.
Colonizing Egypt
Week 13: April 11-14: Selections
from Derrida, Spivak, Bhaba......Third Paper Due
Week 14: April 18-21: Selections
from Derrida, Spivak, Bhaba
Week 15: April 25: Review
and Evaluation
Final Paper: May
3 for Seniors
....................
May 4 for non-Seniors
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