Eurocentrism [Paperback]

Samir Amin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1989

Since its first publication twenty years ago, Eurocentrism has become a classic of radical thought. Written by one of the world's foremost political economists, this original and provocative essay takes on one of the great "ideological deformations" of our time: Eurocentrism. Rejecting the dominant Eurocentric view of world history, which narrowly and incorrectly posits a progression from the Greek and Roman classical world to Christian feudalism and the European capitalist system, Amin presents a sweeping reinterpretation that emphasizes the crucial historical role played by the Arab Islamic world. Throughout the work, Amin addressesa broad set of concerns, ranging from the ideological nature of scholastic metaphysics to the meanings and shortcomingsof contemporary Islamic fundamentalism. This second edition contains a new introduction and concluding chapter, both of which make the author's arguments even more compelling.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is a provocative and compelling critical account of the historical, ideological, political, and economic order of the present world defined by the author as "Eurocentrism."According to Amin, Eurocentrism is the world view fabricated by the domination of Western capitalism that claims European culture reflects the unique and most progressive manifestation of the metaphysical order of history. Amin convincingly explains that Eurocentrism, thus understood, is an ideological distortion, an incredible mythology, and an historical and moral travesty. Eurocentrism. illegitimately appropriated Greek rationality and Christianity to legitimize and justify its newly created capitalistic social order; its economic, political, cultural, and military conquest of the world; and its exploitation of non-European humanity. He, then, explains how Eurocentrism has created and maintained worldwide monetary inequity and denial of all but European values, cultures, and ethnicities. Given this situation, Amin considers two possible options open to Third World (non-European) countries, though, ultimately, he rejects both as inappropriate. The first option is to return to ancient cultural roots as expressed in Islamic Fundamentalism or diverse forms of Third World nationalism. The second is to accommodate socio-cultural economic pluralism. The former option is rejected as reactionary and blind to the scientific view of the world and its progressive consequences. The latter is inappropriate because its character of provincialism invites inevitable and insolvable conflicts among nations in the global community. Thus, Amin believes that in spite of its problems, capitalism reflects a certain universal rationality. He, therefore, calls for a new economic, cultural, and political world order founded on "the socialist universalism," a non-European, universal, and rational paradigm of world order able to overcome the contradiction inherent in capitalist universalism. In this enlightening and provocative essay, Amin provides a synoptic but clear and refreshing view of world history and present economic and political conditions while he forces us to reassess from a non-Eurocentric, objective perspective. -- From Independent Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Monthly Review Press (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0853457867
• ISBN-13: 978-0853457862
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,625,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Antidote to Conventional Theories of World History, December 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eurocentrism (Paperback)

Why did Western Europe achieve an industrial revolution and not China? Why did Western Europe achieve a scientific revolution while the Islamic World failed to do so? Conventional theories, from Adam Smith to modern authors such as David Landes and Eric Jones, concentrate on the innate cultural superiority of the West. Amin, on the other hand, takes a more global, and in my view, more accurate view. In Amin's view, the transition from tribal societies to agricultural "world empires", and then to industrial capitalism was a "global relay race" in which Western Europe was simply "the last runner". Amin traces the economic, political and cultural aspects of the transitions from tribal societies, to world empires (Amin's term is "tributory form"), to industrial capitalism and the modern nation state. This book is the best brief exposition of global history that I have seen.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and highly intriguing read that shouldn't be missed, April 17, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eurocentrism (Paperback)

Europe has long had a tradition of treating itself as the most important continent on the planet. "Eurocentrism" discusses the dominant Eurocentric view of the world and how it has formed over the centuries and the problems it has reaped. Samir Amin argues that the flow of history from classical Greece and Rome to medieval Europe is an inaccurate scope of world history, diminishing the history of the rest of the world. Aiming for a much wider view of the world, "Eurocentrism" is an excellent and highly intriguing read that shouldn't be missed.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars womderful, April 18, 2003

By 

ahmed zaki osman (cairo , Egypt) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eurocentrism (Paperback)

A very important book ,a real critic to Eurocentrism
It gives a meaning to all struggles all over the world to make a new humanitarian society