Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia: Visions of World Order in Pan-Islamic and Pan-Asian Thought

Cemil Aydin challenges the notion that anti-Westernism in the Muslim world is a reaction to the liberal democratic values of the West. He compares Ottoman Pan-Islamic and Japanese Pan-Asian visions of world order from the middle of the nineteenth century through World War II, focusing on the agency and achievements of non-Western intellectuals.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 05 March 2019
Publisher: Columbia University Press

In the intricate tapestry of modern Asian intellectual history, Cemil Aydin emerges as a bold challenger to the prevailing notion that anti-Westernism in this region is solely a political and religious response to the liberal and democratic values of the West. Far from being a mere reaction to Western imperialism, Aydin unveils a more nuanced and complex narrative that sheds light on the origins and evolution of anti-Western discourse. By centering his analysis on the agency and achievements of non-Western intellectuals, Aydin demonstrates that modern anti-Western discourse emerged as a response to the legitimacy crisis of a singular, Eurocentric global polity in the age of high imperialism.

Aydin embarks on a captivating comparative exploration, comparing the Ottoman pan-Islamic and Japanese pan-Asian visions of world order from the mid-nineteenth century to the conclusion of World War II. He delves into the historical moment when the concept of a universal West first germinated in the minds of Asian intellectuals and reformers, and how it subsequently became a powerful tool for critiquing the West for violating its own standards of civilization. Aydin further elucidates the role that these anti-Western visions played in the process of decolonization, highlighting their profound impact on the international relations of both the Ottoman and Japanese Empires during World War I and World War II.

The Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia stands as a unique and groundbreaking work, offering a comprehensive global perspective on the interplay between religious tradition, European colonialism, and Muslim and non-Muslim discontent with globalization, the international order, and modernization. Aydin's approach challenges the epistemological limitations of Orientalist knowledge categories, particularly the notion of Eastern and Western civilizations, and sheds light on how these limitations have shaped the contradictions, political complicities, and contemporary interpretations of anti-Western trends. By transcending essentialist readings of this history, Aydin provides a fresh and insightful understanding of the complex tapestry of anti-Western discourse in modern Asia.

Weight: 478g
Dimension: 152 x 227 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231137799