Define and explain Orientalism Essay Example for Free

rig and explain Orientalism EssayEuropeans used the term Orient to describe the peoples and places of Asia and the Middle East. While widely original prior to the late twentieth century, this term has aroused criticism among historians. The purpose of this essay is too fixate and explain Orientalism, and how the term Orientalist applies to Christian commissionaries in the Far East. Two briny eccentrics of these missionaries be Matteo Ricci and Francis Xavier who served in mainland china contende and japan respectively. Both of these missionaries fall(a) low the definition of Orientalists as defined by Edward Said. Edward Said defines Orientalism in multiple parts the first of which is the academic1. Academic Orientalism is the study of the Orient for the purpose of understanding and learning. Modern historians insure the term Orient to be too vague for an area as large as Asia, unless it is still widely used by means ofout the world. Academic Orientalism attempts to st udy and understand the Orient from afar. Professors of Chinese lyric who have never spoken with a Chinese person are a common example of this detached intellectualism. Often in 18th Century Europe the Orientalist would study and judge the Orient establish on second hand knowledge and conjecture. This invite of understanding the Orient better than the Oriental without supporting it leads into the second part of Orientalism2.The second part of Orientalism as defined by Said is the justification of subjugation. Europeans believed that payable to their better understanding of the history of a culture, and their top-notch culture they needed to dominate other cultures in pronounce to improve them. Arthur James Balfour, a member of the British parliament once said in reference to Egypt We are in Egypt not merely for the saki of the Egyptians, though we are there for their sake we are there alike for the sake of Europe at large3. Balfour meant by this that British occupation of E gypt was essential for the protection of the Egyptians and for the benefit of all Europe. Balfour and other Orientalist believed that they understood Egypt better than the Egyptians themselves, and for this reason governed Egypt for the benefit of Egypt. This form of justification was used throughout the Orient. mainland China, India, Philippines and others were all subjugated on the justification of the blank mans burden. The idea of the burden of the white race to civilize inferior races was a key part of Orientalism.4One of the main points of Orientalism is the division of earthly concern into us and them. The Occidental and the Oriental, East and West, these are divisions created by Europeans in order to dominate the other. By separating the peoples an Orientalist finish justify the subjugation and forced change of other races. Saids overall point is that Orientalism was created by Europeans in order to justify the subjugation of the Orientals. Cultural and intellectual super iority and the separation of us and them led to three one C years of European imperialism in the so called Orient.5In order to understand how Orientalism affected Missionaries in China and Japan, one must first understand the Orientalists views of foreign holinesss. Most Orientalists were Christians and therefore believed all none Christians were destine for hell. This, oddly enough, even applied to pre-Christians such as Aristotle and Abraham. In Dantes Inferno both these men are in the first layer of Hell, even though Christianity did not exist during their life clips. So from this intolerant view one can see the basic attitude towards non-Christians. Muslims, Hindu and Buddhists were all considered heathen that needed the news of Jesus to save them from eternal damnation. The Churchs commission to preach the gospel of Christ to every creature also lays upon her the task of inviting all to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and to join his Church through baptism.6 With this beli ef in mind Christian Missionaries went to the Orient to save the heathens and veer them to the one true faith, whether they cherished too or not.7One of the earliest Christian Missionaries Father Matteo Ricci of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits, arrived in China in 1582 after a four month journey from Goa. He was a Roman Catholic priest who was trained the Rome in numerous subjects. The Jesuits were the most well meliorate order within the Catholic Church for this reason they were particularly well suited for missionary forge in Asia. The Jesuit tactic was too convert the social elites and then have their support in the transition of the masses.This worked particularly well in Asia due to the strict social structures and relatively good tuition of the elites. Also the widespread belief in Confucianism fit well with Christianity. Ricci said in his work The square Idea of God, the Confucian Classics contained allusions, albeit in an inchoate manner, to such Chri stian notions as God and a future(a) life.8 Well educated bureaucrats in China respected Riccis education and intelligence, and were interested in the Western ideas he possessed9. Techniques such as Riccis Memory Palace interested the Chinese and often spawned further interest into the religion Ricci brought with him.10Riccis view of the Chinese is full of contradictions. Many aspects of Chinese culture and government Ricci respected, such as their garments and level of education the hygiene of the people and the relative order imposed by the Chinese bureaucracy11. At the same time that Ricci praised aspects of Chinese civilization, he abhorred a great deal of Chinese practices. Among these are the putre particularion rampant throughout China, the worship of heathen religions and their disrespect for human life. Ricci once remarked This country is full of slaves. 12 Most importantly Ricci despised the widespread homosexuality within China13.There are dickens main reasons for des cribing Ricci as an Orientalist. The first is his reason for universe in China. Ricci sought to convert all of China to Catholicism. He cared piddling for the established religions in China and sought to impose his Christian faith upon the peoples of China. Ricci once remarked Buddhism violated the very first of the Ten Commandments, and it had not raised moral standards in China despite its two thousand years during which it had been preached.14 Viewing his own faith as superior to any other and being so disdainfulnessful of all others, Ricci can be labeled an Orientalist.The second reason for labeling Ricci an Orientalist is his general disdain for all things Chinese. While he may admire certain attributes he generally views everything Western superior for example his disgust with open prostitution in the streets of major Chinese cities. Ricci completely glosses over the circumstance that prostitution was legal within Rome itself. In fact prostitution within Rome was widesprea d.Montaigne on visiting Rome remarked, Taking coach rides or strolling to view the prostitutes was a major Roman pastime.15 In his criticism of homosexuality, Ricci also ignores the previous acceptance of homosexuality in Europe. Montaigne remarked during his visit too Rome, several marriages between Lusitanian males had been celebrated in the church of St. John a few years before, and that the couples had went to bed and lived in concert for some time before being arrested and burned at the stake.16 This method of criticizing China while ignoring the fact that the same problems existed within Europe labels Ricci as an Orientalist.Ricci had additional goals beyond simply the conversion of the Chinese. Along with the conversion to Christianity Ricci hope to rebuild China along European lines. Ricci spent a great deal of time extolling the virtues of European civilization, and purity of the Catholic faith17. Ricci hoped to rid China of corruption, create a perfect Christian order, a nd reform China of heathen practices such as abstaining from meat year round and homosexuality18. These goals of changing Chinese society certainly label Ricci to be an Orientalist.Father Francis Xavier of the Society of Jesus arrived in Japan in 1549 on base a Chinese junk. Xavier had many another(prenominal) initial difficulties in Japan the first of which being his inability to babble Japanese, and later to understand it. His interpreter caused Xavier many troubles later on due to his using Buddhist call for Christian figures, and forever linking Buddhism to Christianity in the minds of the Japanese19. The other difficulty for Xavier was his misunderstanding of Japanese society. When Xavier first arrived he hoped to convert the king of Japan, by this he meant the Shogun20. But when Xavier met the Shogun he found him to be a man of little importance who could barely maintain his own territory, let alone the whole country. Japan was in the termination of sengoku, or country a t war, and was divided among many feudal lords all vying for power. This state of civil war later benefited the Christian missionaries greatly, but initially confused Xavier21.Xavier spent the majority of his time in Japan attempting to convert Japanese daimyo and kokujin to Christianity. He succeeded in a few cases largely due to his link with Portuguese plenty ships. Daimyo within Japan were looking for a way to gain advantage over their enemies, and trade with the Portuguese greatly enriched many lords. The Japanese believed that converting to Christianity would give them more favorable trade with the Portuguese, and for this reason many converted22.Xavier can be labeled an Orientalist for two main reasons. The first is his overall goal of converting the heathen Japanese to Christianity. His total disdain for Buddhism is apparent when he refers to the religion of Dianichi, an invention of the devil, as also were all the other sects of Japan.23 The second reason for labeling Xavi er an Orientalist is for his views on homosexuality. Riccis beliefs on homosexuality among Asians stem from Xavier. When Xavier was the head of the Far East mission he declared that homosexuality was an evil to be combated in Asia24. For these reasons Xavier is clearly an Orientalist the same as Ricci.For all of their efforts to convert the peoples of China and Japan, neither Ricci nor Xavier succeeded in any significant way. The problems in China were numerous mystical seated beliefs in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism kept many from converting, also the lack of interest by the elite make any type of wide scale conversion impossible. In addition the basic fear of outsiders do the Chinese distrustful and angry towards the Christian missionaries25. In Japan the eventual consolidation of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate forced all Christians too abandon their faith. The Tokugawa did not want any opposition to their government and barred any foreigners from entering Japan. Also deep seated religious beliefs and xenophobia as in China caused few too embrace Christianity. Neither Ricci nor Xavier succeeded in their goal of converting the Far East the task they pull their lives too. One must wonder if they had taken a more open, non Orientalist approach, would they have been more successful?1 Said, Edward W. Orientalism. (New York First Vintage Books Edition, October 1979.), 2.2 Ibid, 3.3 Ibid, 33.4 Ibid, 33-36.5 Ibid, 83.6 Manikam, Rajah B. Christianity and the Asian Revolution. (New York fellowship Press, 1954) 185.7 Spence, 73-75.8 Ching, Julia. Confucianism and Christianity. (Tokyo Kodansha International, 1977) 10.9 Hellyer, Robert. Lecture. The Jesuits in Asia. Allegheny College. Meadville, Pa. 11 February 2002.10 Spence, Jonathan D. The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci. (New York Penguin Books, 1985.) 2-511 Ibid, 210.12 Ibid, 219.13 Ibid, 224.14 Ibid, 252.15 Ibid, 208.16 Ibid, 226.17 Ibid, 2-5.18 Ibid, 217.19 Elisonas, Christianity and the Daimyo, (Cambr idge History of Japan, volume 4, 301-372.) 307-310.20 Ibid, 311.21 Ibid, 312.22 Ibid, 323.23 Ibid, 309.24 Spence, 224.