This discussion paper addresses the main thesis of Orientalism: that the Middle East is misrepresented in Western culture precisely because it is represented in the first place. None of his work was quite as influential as Orientalism, which was published nearly forty years ago but remains highly relevant to the modern world, particularly in regards to the Western world’s relationship with the Middle East. Guidelines for Writing a Political Theory Essay Professor Anna Marie Smith Department of Government, Cornell University . Attention! Want us to write one just for you? why is it also called the building block of rural India​, the rbi plays an important role in formal source of credit? Instead of expanding knowledge, it seems that Said is saying that representations tend to reduce knowledge: “Note how readily the ‘Arab’ seems to accommodate the transformations and reductions…into which he is continually being forced” (285). A Response to Samuel Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations and Edward Said's Orientalism Essay, Montagu's Turkish Embassy Letters and the Fabrications of Orientalism Essay, Orientalism and the Postcolonial Predicament: Perspectives on South Asia New Cultural Studies Essay, Drawing Important Conclusions by Comparing Reading a Novel to the Pursuit of a Woman Essay, written information as a better means of communication Essay, Symbolic Aspects Depicted by John Steinbeck Essay, keenness in exploring ways of life of many Essay. Political essay topics. Loads of students go for writing a political ideology essay. In this way, while the work of Said is primarily a cultural criticism of the Western world’s representation of and relationship with the Middle East, the idea of representation (and its negative consequences) does not stop there. we can write an original essay just for you. Said concludes this part of the discussion with a powerful statement: “A wide variety of hybrid representations of the Orient now roam the culture. If you are a student majoring in Political Studies, you will be definitely assigned essays in political theory and other adjacent topics. There was a cultural element to colonialism that was allowed to live on, mostly because it was an unconscious part of Western thought. Representation is not necessarily mutually exclusive of truth, but has denigrated the West’s relationship with the Middle East for centuries. 24/7 Support +9779851170365. Representations, in this way, are the foundation of what anti-imperialists and postcolonial thinkers see as a wholly inaccurate set of knowledge across these various disciplines. This is why representation remains powerful. Philosophical questions such as the nature of truth, will, determinism, etc. *You can also browse our support articles here >. Broader topics, on the other hand, cover connections between politics and other institutions like the church, religion, history, philosophy, etc. There is need to clarify the meaning of key political ideas such as freedom, equality, justice etc. In constructing his theory of ‘justice as fairness,’ Rawls appeals to the idea of the social contract. However, its relevance to the relationship between East and West is clear: Said is saying that the West (whether an American historian or a British foreign diplomat) do not have firsthand knowledge of society in the Middle East, but only knowledge that is dependent on personal, political, or cultural judgment and interpretation. The divisions he outlines include East/West, North/South, haves/have-nots, white/colored, and more (Said 327). According to Mills (1859), “if all of mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one other person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would no more be justified in silencing that person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” Thomas Hobbes for instance, described freedom as the ‘silence of the laws’. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Theorists have tried to bring some exactness to the contested concepts so that one can provide convincing arguments for the particular social arrangements aimed. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/representation-and-its-relevance-for-political-theory-in-postcolonial-constellations-in-the-point-of-view-of-edward-said-founder-of-orientalism/, Recieve 100% plagiarism-Free paper just for 4.99$ on email, *Public papers are open and may contain not unique content. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. Introduction to Contemporary Political Theory. In this way, the term “representation” is key to the entire dialogue of Orientalism and even many of Said’s subsequent works. Company Registration No: 4964706. It simply means that on balance one proposition is truer or less false than the other. As Said states, “A vast web of interests now links all parts of the former colonial world to the United States, just as a proliferation of academic subspecialties divides (and yet connects) all the former philological and European-based disciplines like Orientalism” (284). Overall, this paper has shown the theoretical value of Said’s term by clarifying that representation actually does not have anything to do with imperialism in a military or economic sense, but everything to do with the cultural imperialism that has shaped the world since World War II. The first step to overcoming it, as the discussion has shown, is to challenge the representations as discussed above. We’ve got you covered. Having trouble finding the perfect essay? In the earlier period, there is no separate importance to the political theory. It is also clear that Said views this has harmful to academia, which may be just as important considering representations are formed by historical interpretation in the first place. This essay has been submitted by a student. This political theory paper does not attempt to provide a holistic summary of Said’s work, nor forward a specific opinion on the validity or value of Said’s theories in Orientalism. Essay writing social problems an the of essay write political on 1. theory usages, essay on media and information sources pdf. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. John Locke suggested that law does not restrict liberty as much as defend or enlarge it. Representations are relevant to the idea of ‘Orientalism’ as a whole because, as another scholar has stated, Said “advanced a comprehensive critique of Western, particularly, English, French and American, writing on the Middle East, and encompassing literature, history, political and other sciences” (Halliday 145). The idea of equality is perhaps the defining feature of modern political thought (Heywood, A. GradesFixer.com uses cookies. Argumentative essay topics sustainability, small essay on pet animals. This is perhaps the more important question, since it is the entire point of Said’s writings to show that representation in the cultural exchange between East and West is not an issue of the past, but a problem both of the present and of the future. Theorists are not only important to politicians: our notions of common sense and human nature are heavily infused with the views of thinkers we may never have heard of, for instance, Ben Barber tells us in his website that he was an informal advisor to President Bill Clinton between 1994 and 1999 because of his ability to bridge the “world of theory and practice.” I can contest as to whether the political leaders, acts according to the right political concepts, but it is irrefutable that their dealings are connected to theory. It … 2004). You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser. It is better for anybody to sweat in order to get something rather than getting anything on silver tray. This site is using cookies under cookie policy. (500 words), when was the constitution of India was adopted?​, which is the degree of compactness in a substance, what is the basic idea behind SHG's for the poor. There is need to examine the arguments put forward by various political think-tanks in the justification of these concepts. This paper therefore seeks to discuss what political theory is. This discussion paper has examined the idea of representation in cultural exchange, including both the definition and meaning of the term and an overview of why it remains relevant today, though we are well past colonial days. You can order Unique paper and our professionals Rewrite it for you. The idea of an ‘Orient’ may be at least a century old, but it appears that the idea has stuck with cultural norms and inherent personal bias. Taking this as theory, the argument regarding the continued prevalence of representations and their impact appears sound, since it is not difficult to conjure up an American cultural image of ‘the Arab’ as an individual or as a Middle Eastern country. Clearly, what Said means by representation is not only a historical description of past ills in the way that the West treated the East in academic writings, political speeches, and even economic choices like investment and development. However the more important theoretical point here is not that the past has informed the present, but that representation is an ongoing (and arguably undesirable) social, political and academic phenomenon that continues to limit our ability to understand the Middle East (or any part of the East, for that matter). Autograph).” John Plamenatz described political theory as the ‘systematic thinking about the purposes of government’ (Plamenatz, 1960: 37) and I think this definition is just as apt today as it was then. Home; Offers. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. This discussion paper addresses two specific questions: first, what does Said mean by representation? Cohen, portrayed legal equality as ‘market’ or ‘bourgeois’ equality, and argued that it operates as little more than a facade, serving to disguise the reality of exploitation and economic inequality. This representation, Said’s argument goes, is not built on contemporary reality so much as it is built on the “institutions, traditions, conventions, and agreed-upon codes of understanding” with which the foreign culture has been dealt with in the past (Said 22). Pssst… This is the cornerstone of Said’s scholastic work, and essentially means that the relationship between Western nations – like France and Great Britain – are not solely shaped by the reality of today, but instead primarily by past interpretations of what it means to relate with what used to be called the Orient. We can custom edit this essay into an original, 100% plagiarism free essay. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! The word ‘Politics’, here stands for an identification of that which is to be “theorized” or “ understood,” while ‘Theory’ comes from a Greek word called “theorema” which means what emerges from “theorizing.” ‘Theoros’ which means an intelligent observer, one who looks at what is going on, asking questions about it and tries to understand it. Rawls’s theory of the difference principle does permit inequality it does so only when such inequalities benefit everyone, especially the least advantaged. I can argue that academic political theory should ascertain to enhance the quality of public political debate. The most noticeable, and perhaps most imperative, manifestation of formal equality is the principle of legal equality, or ‘equality before the law’. Study for free with our range of university lectures! If you fit this description, you can use our free essay samples to generate ideas, get inspired and figure out a title or outline for your paper. In examining arguments, there is also need to reflect upon our modern political experiences and spot out trends and expectation for the future. In relationship to what Hoffman says, to point out that “democracy” is good is both true or false, because even the true democrats would acknowledge some shortcomings of democracy and even the aggressive critics would agree that it has some positive component. Heywood, A. Students who find writing to be a difficult task. All work is written to order. Political theory is not a question of whether political animals follow theory, but a question of which theory or concept is supported when they present policies and undertake actions (Hoffman, etal, 2009). This form of imperialism is just as real, and may have just as much of a negative impact on the world if it continues to go unchecked. The mere fact that there continues to be this idea of ‘the Arab’ today, as late as 2016, shows that the influence of representations of the past have certainly influenced representations of the present. However, John Plamenatz defined political theory as the systematic thinking about the purposes of government (Farrelly, 2004). The short answer to the first question is that “representation” is represented by the quote from above: representation is substituting real experience and knowledge with a perceived reality based on historically, politically, and culturally informed interpretation. No plagiarism, guaranteed! You can get 100% plagiarism FREE essay in 30sec, Sorry, we cannot unicalize this essay. So far, the term ‘representation’ has seemed largely relevant to colonial powers of the past – France, Great Britain, Spain, and so on. Islam and the Arabs have their own representations…and we shall treat them here as they occur in that fragmentary – yet powerfully and ideologically coherent – persistence, a far less frequently discussed one, into which, in the United States, traditional European Orientalism disbursed itself.” In other words, representations remain powerful in culture, politics, and historical dialogue because they shift the ideological focus of anyone engaging with them. The ‘real’ knowledge of the Middle East exists, but any part of it that relates to the West is, as Said states, almost inherently subject to interpretation. After the Second World War, the world changes to the usage of political theory. Political Theory “is the combination of two words, ‘politics’ and ‘theory’. Political Theory is generating an endless debate about its comprehensive definition; there are several views by theorists in understanding the nature of the discipline. Introduction to Political Theory. It is important for political academics to develop the critical skills necessary to explore new experience and new knowledge through the analysis of political ideas and their relationship to political practice. Leftwitch (1994), points out that one of the main contribution of political philosophy to our understanding of politics, is the potential for developing consistency and clarity of thought and judgment and that this process of clarification is not about analytical or explanatory activity: it is also about listening. In other words, the colonial influence of the West on the United States did not stop with the political and military state of affairs. play a crucial role in argumentation, but we prefer the term “theory” because it seems less daunting and abstract; however we don’t see any substantive difference between theory and philosophy (Hoffman, etal, 2009). 5th Oct 2017 You can view samples of our professional work here. Political Theory “is the combination of two words, ‘politics’ and ‘theory’. Thankfully, Said is quite the talented writer, and explains both his theoretical framework and the requisite evidence in a cohesive, straightforward manner that leaves little doubt as to his meaning. (2004). To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below: Sorry, copying is not allowed on our website. Here are some basic topics for your political essay. Farrelly C. (2004). They include “cultural relations policy”, reducing the Middle East to “merely Islam”, and making ‘the Orient’ all-important in postcolonial international relations and economics (Said 293). this essay is not unique. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Copyright © 2003 - 2020 - UKEssays is a trading name of All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. According to Leftwitch politics is about conflict and its resolution, and resolving conflicts of interest occurs in all societies at all levels. This last aspect of the term of representation brings the discussion to the secondary question of this paper: why does the theoretical framework formed by Said nearly half a century ago matter to the modern world, when we are well past colonial times? This experience in-turn informs the future. Instead, representation remains a critical problem for the modern world – even in postcolonial constellations – because nearly everything is political: “Perhaps if we remember that the study of human experience usually has an ethical, to say nothing of a political, consequence in either the best or worst sense, we will not be indifferent to what we do as scholars” (Said 328). (LSE 1/1/54. History is evidently important, as part of exploration into modern challenges. This is not to say that facts or data are nonexistent, but that facts get their importance from what is made of them in interpretation” (22). David Easton writes” Political Theory is mainly based on the history of ideas “along with the data and information. Politicsliterally means the study of politics and it is about conflict of interest and its resolution which occurs at every level of the society. If you’d like this or any other sample, we’ll happily email it to you. The main takeaway of this discussion, then, is that the cultural imperialism of the modern world (which takes the form of representations) is just as real as the political and military imperialism of the past. In true sense, however, equality does not mean the same treatment in as much as there can be no likeness of treatment as long as people differ in want, capacity and need etc. Political theory is a subdivision of the study of politics. To argue otherwise is to assume that a phenomenon has to be one thing or another; philosophers call this dualistic approach (Hoffman, etal, 2009)”. Looking for a flexible role? Essay on advantages of television essay about is homework harmful or helpful essay my school class 9. Are you interested in getting a customized paper? Political theory is, however, usually regarded as a distinctive approach to the subject, even though, particularly in the USA, it is seen as a subfield of political science involves the analytical study of ideas and doctrines that have been central to political thought (Heywood, A. In constructing his theory of ‘justice as fairness,’ Rawls appeals to the idea of the social contract. Explain. Essay on advertisement in punjabi. The expression Political Theory is composed of two words, ‘Politics’ and ‘Theory’. This is not a productive approach or use of knowledge, and can be potentially detrimental not only to the Middle East but to the entire relationship between Western nations and Middle Eastern nations, harming economic, political, and cultural relations. 5 paragraph essay about yourself example how to write a summer vacation essay on an Write usage of political theory essay business school essay template: my life without television essay tsotsi essay questions and answers. This is a description of ‘representation’ as it relates to the world as a whole; for instance, one’s knowledge about George Washington is dependent on the culture, politics, nation state, and other factors which situate an individual. ​, why do we need to expand formal sources of credit​, India is not a truly federal country. In this way, ‘representation’ as a theoretical term has much more to do with West versus East, or rather West with East. This cultural approach remained in the Western psyche, in an unconscious way that potentially made it even more insidious, including within a country that has not had a colonial past (at least not in the traditional sense of the word): the United States of America. GradesFixer. Essay on illiteracy in pakistan … Said is not making a cultural critique of human interpretation as a whole. What does Said mean by representation? We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Remember: This is just a sample from a fellow student. Write an essay on the usages of political theory? We will occasionally send you account related emails. As noted above, the best understanding of representation as it relates to the necessary but obviously tenuous relationship between the Western world and the Middle East, can be summarized in Said’s following words: “All knowledge that is about human society…is historical knowledge, and therefore rests upon judgment and interpretation. This is not an example of the work written by professional essay writers. Essay writing may be one of the most important skills that you will learn in the course of your undergraduate degree. Therefore I can argue that while I agree that individuals should be forced to be free on the other hand unconstrained freedom or liberty could amount to the infringement of other people’s rights. Said clarifies this point, stating that it must be made clear “about cultural discourse and exchange within a culture that what is commonly circulated by it is not ‘truth’ but representations” (21). A liberalist view, every person is blessed with reason or will, which hinges on individual rights, beliefs of rationality and self-interested. For instance, when the government distributes fertilizer-subsidy or food items to the disadvantaged- I slightly agree with Rawls difference principle on one hand I do not agree on the other, especially the identification of the least advantaged. Said goes on to say that in the decades following World War II, “the Arab Muslim has become a figure in American popular culture, even as in the academic world, in the policy planner’s world, and in the world of business very serious attention is being paid the Arab” (284). He means that making sense of the Middle East, from a Western perspective, has not yet been dependent on the Middle East, and has instead been dependent on the West itself, creating a sort of tautological set of knowledge that may not be all that useful for moving forward. The short answer to the second question is that, yes, representations matter for political theory in postcolonial constellations because they directly influence everything from economics to foreign policy. Overall, the discussion highlights that representation is cultural critique of modern established disciplines and discourses, and that the concept remains as not only an accurate description of the state of things, but also relevant to the relationship between the West and the East today. My view, ‘political theory,’ is the ability to inquire into the political activity by using analytical tools such as concept, model and theory to dissect by believing the answers to the questions examined to have an important impact of what goes on in the real world. This is not an example of the work produced by our Essay Writing Service. This paper has shown that the questions that Said raises are not simply sound, but profoundly critical to ensuring that historians do not act out their own clichéd adage of repeating history. The very first theoretical question to ask and answer is in regards to what Said means by the term ‘representation’ in the first place. Political theory According to Farrell C. (2004), Political theory is thus a normative discipline; it is primarily concerned with how things ought to be as opposed to how things actually are. Theory is anything from a plan to a piece of abstract knowledge. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Home — Essay Samples — Art — Orientalism — Representation and Its Relevance for Political Theory in Postcolonial Constellations in the Point of View of Edward Said, Founder of Orientalism. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Assessment: Capability, Competence, Culture, Leadership, Structure; Innovation Analytics and Benchmark To argue that something is true is not to cast out all doubt, if something is true this does not also mean that it is not also false. Instead, the discussion attempts to engage the theory itself, and address how it is relevant to the modern political world. He goes on to state that the modern investment in the Middle East “is built on foundations of sand, since the experts instruct policy on the basis of such marketable abstractions as political elites, modernization, and stability, most of which are simply the old Orientalist stereotypes dressed up in policy jargon” (Said 321). Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. Therefore, you need to make sure you are aware of original and creative political theory paper topics that will help you succeed in your course. It is a little bit tricky for someone to qualify as a genuine needy person because it could encourage laziness to those who pretend to be the poorest. Hoffman J and Graham P. (2009). For example, people should be forced or encouraged to express their freedom of expression or movement or demonstration while taking into consideration the rights of others without infringing their rights. Dworkin’s principle, (2000) of equal concern requires us to compensate those who have handicaps and little native (or non-marketable) talents, there is a difference between someone who is less advantaged as a result of circumstances beyond their control (for example, being born with a severe handicap) and someone who is less advantaged as a result of their own choice (for example, choosing to live off welfare payments instead of working). Said goes on to say that there is no avoiding the fact that “even if we disregard the Orientalist distinctions between ‘them’ and ‘us,’ a powerful series of political and ultimately ideological realities inform scholarship today” (327). explain how? Political Theory: An Introduction, 4th edn. We provide you with original essay samples, perfect formatting and styling. “Representation and Its Relevance for Political Theory in Postcolonial Constellations in the Point of View of Edward Said, Founder of Orientalism.”, Representation and Its Relevance for Political Theory in Postcolonial Constellations in the Point of View of Edward Said, Founder of Orientalism [Internet]. Edward Said may not be the most controversial figure in academia, but he certainly made waves when he founded the entirely new academic field of postcolonial studies. By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. In academic discourse, however, a theory is an explanatory proposition, an idea or set of ideas that in some way seeks to impose order or meaning upon phenomena (Heywood, 2004). As Said states, “Unlike the Americans, the French and the British…have had a long tradition of what I shall be calling Orientalism, a way of coming to terms with the Orient that is based on the Orient’s special place in European Western experience” (20). Does essay typer really work. The term can be even further understood by considering the different forms that representation takes, as forwarded by Said. As Walzer argued, different principles of justice may therefore be appropriate in different spheres of life. Political theory involves analytical study of ideas and doctrines that have been central to political thought unlike Political Philosophy which is concerned with the critical evaluation of political beliefs, paying attention to both inductive and deductive forms of reasoning and to clarify and refine the concepts employed in political discourse. The political science based on liberalism that was passing through many crises. This is not an example of the work written by professional essay writers.

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