Escaping from Orientalized Orientals: Studying Occidentosis as a Methodological Polemic for Regaining Eastern Identity versus West
Jalal Farzaneh Dehkordi,
Mohammad Amin Mozaheb
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 4, July 2017
Pages:
31-36
Received:
3 May 2017
Accepted:
9 May 2017
Published:
12 July 2017
Abstract: Although Iranian society has not been directly colonized by Western countries over the past centuries, the colonizing strategies of some of these countries have been successful during various historical periods. Furthermore, Iranian intellectuals have taken diverse orientations towards the Western ideology. Nonetheless, debates on Western influences on Iranian culture and the orientations that could be taken towards them reached their climax during the Constitutional Revolution of Iran in the 19th century and continued to the Pahlavi Dynasty. It is said that Jalal Ale-Ahmad was among those intellectuals who were deeply influenced by the issue of Western influence on Iranian society. As a translator of some Western literary works, Ale- Ahmad could not have a nativist orientation towards Western influences. Nonetheless, he did not accept that Iranian culture could be influenced entirely by the Western culture. In his Occidentosis, Ale-Ahmad, besides explaining the term Westoxication attempts to introduce the problem of Orientalism in Iran. The current study aims to shed light on Ale-Ahmad’s personal views and orientation towards Westoxification. This paper will cover the problems of being oriented, in Ale-Ahmad’s view and also address his proposed solutions for Westoxification. Likewise, the issue of the Orientaized Orientals, as understood, by Ale-Ahmad will be put under consideration.
Abstract: Although Iranian society has not been directly colonized by Western countries over the past centuries, the colonizing strategies of some of these countries have been successful during various historical periods. Furthermore, Iranian intellectuals have taken diverse orientations towards the Western ideology. Nonetheless, debates on Western influence...
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