I’ve been reading Ibn Warraq’s controversial book Why I Am Not a Muslim lately, where Warraq brings up the point in the title. Warraq believes many western apologists of Islam have arisen because the use Islam as a tool to bash western culture. This has gotten me thinking about how many western intellectuals have a tendency to bash western cultre. That is not to say it is a bad thing or a good thing, but it seems, as far as I know, a western thing. Any thoughts on why this is? Whether any other cultures have this tendecy? Reasons why I am completely, horribly, and utterly wrong?
I’d say it was over compensation. USA is perceived to be arrogant short sighted self absorbed country. So when other people try to balance their statements they not only try to make up for any perceived slant they have but also try to make up for the image of arrogance in general.
Perhaps one important characteristic of “Western” intellectualism (and it should be noted that such a generalisation is, to say the least, sweeping) is the strong tendency towards introspection. Falsification as discussed by Popper, while strictly a scientific epistemology, is systematically applied to a model or hypothesis in order to test its mettle with little or no dogmatic or doctinal baggage.
As for “western culture” (whatever that is), again it is the tendency of the rigorous analyst to focus on what is wrong with a given political system or socioeconomic institution and how things might be made better rather than seeking to demonstrate how such a phenomenon or situation is hunky-dory.
This, I would venture, is not bashing oneself but striving for betterment.
It may be the case that responsible scholars focus on problems in order to remedy them, but by the time it gets down to the drooling mass of liberals, college students, and other knee-jerks, it’s just plain West-bashing.
A lot of it has to do with conceit. If the common mob is patriotic, we intellectuals, who of course have a much more sophisticated and subtle understanding than mere * hoi polloi, * must surely see through that delusion. You mustn’t express even the feeblest patriotic sentiment or someone might mistake you for a vulgar bourgeois. Wouldn’t want that, now, would we? It does seem to me that anti-Western and anti-American bigotry are much more extreme among the second and third raters in the intellectual community, perhaps because they feel much more insecure about their status as intellectuals.
I differ. I think that intellectuals can be just as arrogant as the mob. Moreso, in fact. I don’t bash Western Culture, but I rather like Eastern Culture. What I want to know is why most intellectuals, or pseudointellectuals tend to use 5-dollar words when a fifty-cent word would work much better and make it comprehensible to the not so well-read. Are we trying to remain esoteric, or do we really want people to start progressing as a race? Baby steps, people! Baby steps.
By the way. I’m very arrogant, and I love France, but dislike her politics.
Here is what I’ve seen:
Among top-flight critics of America, it is “We/you are capable of doing much better than we/you are doing and should live up to our/your potential.”
Among mediocre minds, it is “We/You are evil/jingoist/arrogant/the root of all evil in the world.”
i can only speak for american culture, but it seems to me that a lot of the naysaying that goes on here and not in other countries is because as a culture, we are much more open to it.
there’s a national heritage of going against the status quo, and the country was founded with the idea that speaking out against one’s government or society ought to be protected by law. so i think a lot of it comes from the fact that we can.
also, to me, the definition of an intellectual is simply someone who disagrees with those around him.
if i’ve misinterpreted your question, perhaps you could be clearer on whom you consider “western” intellections?
I’ve been around a lot of intellectuals. Only the hippy new age ones (who I wouldn’t characterize as intellectual) show strong contempt for Western culture. The rest, in my experience, acknowledge that we’ve got a long ways to go, and that we arn’t automatically better than everyone else in all aspects. Still, they are working towards understand and improving Western culture, not destorying it or mindlessly bashing it.
I’ve been around a lot of intellectuals. Only the hippy new age ones (who I wouldn’t characterize as intellectual) show strong contempt for Western culture. The rest, in my experience, acknowledge that we’ve got a long ways to go, and that we arn’t automatically better than everyone else in all aspects. Still, they are working towards understand and improving Western culture, not destorying it or mindlessly bashing it.
Every culture has their internal critics. Think about how many kids from Soviet Russia desperately wanted Levis and Pepsi. Think about all the pro-democracy folks in China. Think about how many educated people from all over the world move to Western countries, or at least desperatly long to. The difference is that we see those people as being critical of their own culture, we see them as being “right”.