Orientalism In China

The study of China is something that has fascinated Western scholars throughout history. Whether it be the perceived exotic and mysterious nature or an interest in historical, political, and economic issues, the study of China has captivated scholars for ages. Likewise, as the study of China has continued, it is only natural that the perspectives and methodologies used to understand China would also develop and advance. Two such perspectives include Edward Said’s “Orientalism” and Paul Cohen’s “China centered” understandings of China. In both Said’s and Cohen’s works, Orientalism and Discovering History in China respectively, the authors illustrate starkly different methodologies for the studying and understanding of China. While Said’s perspective stems from the contrast of the West and the Orient, Cohen bases his method on China as its own entity. Within his work Orientalism, Said offers a critique of the study of the Orient—that is, Asia and the Middle East. Said examines the historical, cultural, and political views of the Orient that are held by the West, examining where they came from and how they developed. Said defines …show more content…
Cohen writes: “The main identifying feature of the new approach is that it begins with Chinese problems set in a Chinese context. . . . [These] are Chinese problems, in the double sense that they are experienced in China by Chinese and that the measure of their historical importance is a Chinese, rather than a Western, measure” (CITE). The point here is not that China’s history is unique, but rather that one should not presume that the categories of politics, social structure, and historical process that emerged as central in the unfolding of early modern Europe will find natural application in the historical experience of