Comments by "Ikenga Spirit" (@ikengaspirit3063) on "What is Orientalism?" video.

  1. I feel like I would disagree with most of the anti-orientalist mindset. I don't see what is so special about humans that would invalidate a study that views them from a detached viewer vs object dynamic. We literally do almost all of our science like that Humans are not exempt. However I do agree with the criticisms on Bias and the importance of the direct testimony and self study of someone from a group of that group. But the same way that that brings in facts that the detached outsider study would miss is the same way that the detached outsiders study would bring in facts that the insider study would not grasps. Like an example that comes to mind is how little we now exactly about the finer mechanics of ancient battles, we aren't sure how exactly skirmishers after skirmishing retreat behind the main army. A modern observer would have recorded that if they saw an ancient battle but the ancient authors didn't see that as important info. So my argument for the outsider perspective is that it is useful and not just to avoid unhealthy division. And as for the criticism that Orientalism helped colonialism, I would argue it is redundant because you could argue that almost every aspect of European reality at the time helped colonization. I can argue that for the science, the religion, the food, the jokes, the libertine literature. It shouldn't be surprising and shouldn't be a critic that every part of a society in direct and indirect ways affect every other.
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  2. That's a pretty problematic mindset.
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