Eurocentrism and Orientalism

Abstract Eurocentrism is the discourse that emphasizes European concerns, culture, and values at the expense of others. It uses Europe as a cultural rather than a cartographical expression, which incorporates the so‐called “West,” in other words, Western Europe and North America. Eurocentrism assumes that Europe is civilized and has been throughout history and that European civilization has a unique historical advantage that leads to its permanent superiority over all other cultures. Eurocentrism sanitizes European history neglecting its dark sides by considering them as mere aberrations. At the same time, Eurocentrism understates the achievements and contributions of other cultures. Orientalism, the theory and the practice of representing “the Orient” in Western thought, is a controversial concept. In the aftermath of the decolonization period in the second half of the twentieth century an increasing body of academic literature produced by scholars of orientalism has challenged the authoritative claims and knowledge that have been produced in the discipline.