Orientalism, its Critique, and Beyond

SOUTH ASIA h¥4±+W¥-frliiiViii PHILOSOPHY AND PHilOLOGY EAST AND WEST (3): Oricntalism, its Critique, and Beyond Eli Franco and Karin Preisendanz (Eds.) overlooks completely the extent of Halbfass also briefly discusses two), leave any room for cross-cultu- Beyond Orientalism: essentialist constructions in his own other Said-inspired contributions co ral dialogue and understanding? The Work of Wilhelm Hafbfass and its Impact on Indian and Cross-cultural Studies presentation.' In other words, Said's the Orientalism debate. He men- The outlines of a Halbfassian an- Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and Humonities, vol. 59;Amsterdom-Atlanta: 'Oricnralisr' is as much an unwar- tions the volume Oricntalism and swer appear in Halbfass's reflections RodoPi: 1997. XXXv, 673 pp. Dn 1001350; US$ 52.501180.- (paperlbound) ranted construction and essentiali- the postcolonial Predicament (phila- on the notions of'encounter', 'dialo- zation as 'the Orient' of Said's delphia 1993) edited by Carol Breck- gue', and 'understanding' in his sec- l1li By JAN E.M. HOUSEN of a more general interest to scholars 'Orientalisrs'. (2) The 'causal and enridge and Peter van der Veer, and ond essay (p. 141ffj: 'Speaking of un- of Asian cultures and languages. conceptual relationship between gives his comments on two contri- derstanding may seem almost obso- I n two previous is- textual and academic Orientalism butions to that volume in particular: lete at a time when the debate is sues of the News- The Orientalism Debate and actual political and economic David Ludden's 'Oricntalist Empiri- dominated by terms such as 'repre- letter, I summar- In his first essay, Halbfass does not subjugation of the Orient remains cism: Transformations of Colonial senting', 'imagining', 'construction', ized parts of illy paper react to anyone of the contributors unclear and ambiguous.' This is il- Knowledge' and Sheldon Pollock's 'deconstruction', ere .'. Indeed, 'Philosophy and Philolo- specifically, but addresses a theme lustrated and explained in a later ob- 'Deep Orientalism? Notes on San- there is an undeniable element of in- gy East and West: Need which is implicit in "the title which servaticn by Halbfass, according to skrit and Power beyond the Raj.' tellectual lnastery and domination, and Basis for a Global Approach' (to the editors gave the volume, Beyond which Said 'does not want to see the Halbfass also comments on Ronald of being able to speak for the other, appear in the Proceedings of the Orienralism. The effects of the twists and rums, the unexpected Iriden's Imagining India (1990), the in the very idea of understanding. seminar 'Past, Present and Future of Orientalism debate, initiated by transformations and side-effects in 'most ambitious attempt to apply But then, there is also the clement of lndology', New Delhi: Sahirya Akad- Said's Or icntaiism (1978), have been Europe's encounter with Asia, the Said's critique of Orienralism to the openness, the readiness to hear and emy). Since in the last issue I men- felt not only in the 'arena of theorct- dynamics of a process which locked, field ofIndian studies' (Halbfass, Be- to receive and to question one's own tioned Wilhelm Halbfass as someone ical debate' but also in 'academic for instance, the Asian activities of yond Orientalisrn, p. 18). premises and identity Under- who 'has followed the inner necessi- policies and administration' and in the Christian missionaries into the standing and dialogue arc insepara- ry of Wesrern perspectivisrn to take the change of names (removal of growth of secularism and the cri- The issue as perceived ble _._. Understanding proceeds from into account more and more per- 'oriental') of academic departments rique of Christianity in Europe, and by Halbfass a standpoint, through prejudice and spectives, and has brought this per- and programmes [p. 1-2). Halbfass which turned the efforts of such While there is ample occasion to misunderstanding, but it also en- specrivism to a new developmental does not want 'co speculate on the 'agents of imperialism' and arch- critice Said's Orientalism and. nu- tails the readiness to return to one- stage by including the contributions historical meaning and cross-culm- Orientalists as William Jones or Max rncrous publications which have fol- self and one's prej udicial standpoint, ofIndia', it will be no more than ap- ral potential of this debate', but fo- Muller into forces which would con- lowed in its wake, it has to be admit- and to be changed in the process.' propriate here to give a brief review ruses on Said's thesis that 'the West- tribute to the demise of colonialism red that there are some real issues Whatever one may think of the and discussion of a recent publica- ern study of the so-called Orient, and imperialism' [p. 9). (3) The third which, in the first place, inspired strong Gadamerian influence on tion which not only gives further re- specifically the Islamic world, con- point made by al-'Azm and accepted Said to take the position he took and Halbfass in style and terminology flections on the cross-cultural dia- stitutes a pervasive atrempt to de- by Halbfass is that 'Said denounces to argue for it in the way he did, and [with Heidegger, Gadamer is one of logue between 'Europe' and 'India' prive it of its identity and sovereign- as typically and specifically Western which, in the second place, facilitat- the two 'obscure philosophers' of so important in Halbfass's work, but ty, and that rhe academic pursuit of and Orientalist what appears else- ed a wide reception of Said' s book. To Frits Staal, Rules without Meaning, is also itself an instance of this dia- 'Oriental' or 'Asian' Studies in Euro- where as a most natural or even uui- say, as Halbfass does in his first I': 25£), the important difference Logue. This publication, Beyond pean and American universities con- versal way of cross-cultural cncoun- essay, that Said's Orientalism gives 'a with and advance on Cadamcr is ccr- Orientalism: The Work of Wilhelm tinues to be an extension or reflec- ter and interaction,' something new, rhetorically powerful and P?" as I wrote in the previous Halbfass and its Impact on Indian tion of a fundamentally political will which 'leads to gross distortions in lemically charged use of a term that Gadamer's 'fusion and Cross-cultural Studies contains to power and domination' (p. 2-3). Said's critique and leaves it without which appeared to be on the verge of of horizons' which refers mainly to an introduction and editorial essay Pondering the Saidian concept of a clearly identifiable target' (p. 9). becoming obsolete' is somewhat un- the chronologically vertical situation by Eli Franco and Karin Preisendanz, 'Orientalism', Halbfass asks: 'Was it One more point of Halbfass's criti- fair to the sincere engageulcnt of a historically situated reader 11:1an- a bibliography of the publications by possible that I was myself part of the cism to be mentioned is (4) Said's which no doubt lies ar the basis of to create a shared meaning Wilhelm Halbfass, and the conrribu- scenario described by Said? Was it carelessness about historical and Said's book. And as for the later con- an equally hiscorirally situated tions of 22 authors from three co nti- possible that my own and anybody philological accuracy, which, as rributions, Pollock, for instance, author, is complemented by a 'fusion nenrs and with diverse scholarly else's efforts of understanding Asian Halbfass demonstrates, seriously af- does draw attention to important of horizons in a horizontal dimen- backgrounds. The contributors. re- traditions were contributing to the fects the argument. of two 'cases' problems in the history of Indo logy sion' of West em and Indian perspec- spend to aspects in Halbfass's work, formation and stabilization of a dis- discussed by Halbfass I mention here and Sanskrit Studies; even if his term tives in the work of Halbfass. An- while Halbfass gives his response to course of domination? Vias -under- only one. According to Said, Barrhe- 'Deep Orieuralism' may not be an other step forward is that HaJbfass is rheresponsesinfivebriefessays. standing itself, or the qnest fot it, lemy d'Herbclor's Bibliorhequc entirely felicitous rabel [or the aware, though 111 Iny view still insuf- When we try to think of the one just another manifestation ofOrien- Orientale, which appeared in 1697 knowledge-power configurations he ficiently, of the potential for perspec- publication by Haibfass which had a talism? But what exactly is the with a preface by Antoine Galiand, describes, these configurations are tivistic understanding of 'the Other' world-wide impact and provided the meaning of Orientalism, apart from was a major step in the process of indeed observable in history and call (including the Western 'Other') 111 theme for scholarly panels (for the general connotation of a collu- 'Orientalizing the Orient' (Halbfass, for a critical discussion. rhe Indian philosophical heritage. •• a recent one Pune, India, see sion of knowledge with power ... ? Beyond Oricnralism, p. 9; Said, Although emphasizing the 'perva- Newsletter no. 13), it must be his How exactly does this collusion Orientalism, p. 65). Said sees it as an sive clement of rhetoric and hyper- India and Europe (1988). While its work? How does it affect the minds early attempt to make the Orient bole' in the Orientalism debate [po German predecessor Indicn und Eu- of scholars and the nature of rheir 'systematically, even alphabetically, 22), Halbfass also acknowledges that topa [1981J 'came as an exciting SU[- work? How pervasive is it in Western knowable by Western laymen,' and Said's Orientalism addresses highly prise for the scholarly world of In- thought? Is it an exclusively Western to turn it 'into a rational Oriental significant problems (p. 12). The dology, philosophy and religious phenomenon? What are its symp, panorama, framA to Z.' (ibid.) How- main issue in the words ofHalbfass study', the expanded English version toms? Is there a cure?' [p. 3) After ever, Said fails to merrticn the great is as follows: 'Is there a pervasive really had a 'tremendous impact, not this series of questions, so typical of indebtedness of the Bibliorheque to mode of thinking and of dealing only on Iudologists, but also on phi- Halbfass' careful and reflective style, a bibliographical dictionary which With others and with oneself which Iosophers, and turrhermorc on he makes his readers reflect and pon- Galland had found in Istanbul in is in some way associated with Eu- scholars of religion, theologians, po- der over these by not suggesting de- 1682. The latter was 'the work of an rope, and which has accompanied Iitical scientists, students of cross- finirive answers to all of them im- Ottoman scholar and compiler of e11- European thought and culture from cultural issues, and even on Indian mediately. cyclopedias, Hajji Khalifa (or Karib its Greek beginnings into the mod- politicians' (Franco andPrcisendanz, Celebi, 1609-1657)' who was also the ern Westernized and globalized Beyond Orientalism, P: IX). An Indi- Points of critique all Said author of 'the famous geographical world?' (p. 12) an reviewer even goes as far as to Halbfass's important points of cri- encyclopedia Jihannuma [Cihannu- claim the book may even help to rique on Said - often applying, in my mal, an unfinished work which was Cross-cultural dial03ue 'ward off dangers of War and inter- view, to other contributions to the meant to provide a systematic and, and ullderstandi113 state conflicts of serious proportion' 'Orientalisrn' debate as well- are the in pare, alphabetized survey of the This tormularion of the issue gives [p. XX). following. Halbfass refers to a nurn- Ottoman empire and the Muslim rise to another question which I Some of rhc scholarly impact of bcr of reviews of Said's Orientalism, world, with additional information would state as follows: this and two later books by Halbfass especially to one by Sadik [alal al- about Europe.' [Haibfass, Beyond Does the reality of the relations of (Tradition and Reflection, 199'; On 'Azm in the journal Khamsin (1981). Orientalism, P: 10). Halbfass aptly political and economic power, a real- Being and What There Is, 1992) is re- This contains three major points of comments: 'Certainly, the project of iry which finds expression both in fleeted in the contributions to Be- criticism on Said which Halbfass making the so-called Orient 'svs- Said's critique of 'Oricntalism' and yond Orientalism. Here we will con- cites approvingly: (1) 'In his polerni- ternatically, even alphabetically, in Heidegger's notion of 'the Euro- Dr Jon £'M. Houben centrate on Halbfass's essays and the cal zeal against Orientalist construe- knowable' was not an exclusively peanization of the world' (Halbfass Ghouben@ruJ/et/eidenuniv.nl) is Research points made there which seem to be tions and essentializaticns, Said Western idea.' points to some parallels between the Fellow at the Kern Institute, Leiden University. ------------------------------------------~----~~---------------------------- JL6· lIAS NEWSLETTER W15' win re r 1998