Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

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"One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world." Le Monde

In this collection of essays, Gilbert Achcar examines the controversial relationship of Marxism to religion, to Orientalism and its critique by Edward Said, and to the concept of cosmopolitanism.

A compelling range of issues is discussed within these pages, including a comparative assessment of Christian liberation theology and Islamic fundamentalism; Orientalism in reverse”, which can take the form of an apology for Islamic fundamentalism; the evolution of Marx’s appraisal of non-Western societies; and the vagaries of cosmopolitanism” up to our present era of globalisation.

Erudite and incisive, these essays provide a major contribution to the critical discussion of Marxism, Orientalism and cosmopolitanism, and illuminate the relationships between all three.

Gilbert Achcar is a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. His most recent book is The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising.

Author Bios

Gilbert Achcar is Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. His publications include the critically acclaimed The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives, and most recently The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprising.

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Publication date: November 12, 2013

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword 7
Religion and Politics Today from a Marxian Perspective 10

Marx’s view of religion 12

Religion and radicalism today: liberation theology 16

Religion and radicalism today: Islamic fundamentalism 23

For a Marxian comparative sociology of religions 28

Political conclusions 35
Orientalism in Reverse: Post-1979 Trends in French Orientalism 40

“Orientalism in reverse” 41

Post-1979 French Orientalists 45

French “Orientalism in reverse” 47

The meanderings of French “Orientalism in reverse” 56

Marx, Engels and “Orientalism”: On Marx’s Epistemological Evolution 68

Said’s Orientalism and its Marxist critique 68

Orientalism, essentialism and idealism 73

Marx and Engels’ radical break with historical idealism 78

Were Marx and Engels Eurocentric? 82

The political/epistemological evolutionof Marx and Engels 88

Critical Marxism and Orientalism 96

Marxism and Cosmopolitanism 103

Four conceptions of cosmopolitanism 103

Marx and Engels’ initial conception of cosmopolitanism 107

The maturation of Marx and Engels’ conception of cosmopolitanism 116

Cosmopolitanism and internationalism 123

“Cosmopolitanism” after Marx and Engels: Kautsky, Gramsci and the Comintern 128

“Cosmopolitanism” as anathema: the Stalinist perversion 134

Cosmopolitanism and “globalisation” 144

Bibliography and References 165

Reviews

"One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world."
Le Monde

"A remarkable little book."
Radical Philosophy

Praise for The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives:

A sensitive and insightful exploration of an important dimension of the Middle East conflict one that we usually only encounter in angry sound bites. Gilbert Achcar’s book, which combines meticulous scholarship and an engaging style, is a significant contribution to the mutual understanding that is in such short supply.”
Peter Novick, author of The Holocaust in American Life

The ideological mapping at the heart of Achcar’s work is achieved with such intelligence, sensitivity and learning, and with such admirable concern for the theoretical and methodological, that it deserves to be regarded as one of the finest achievements in contemporary Middle Eastern studies.”
Ralph Coury, author of Race & Class

"Having demystified the aura surrounding Orientalism, generated mostly by post-colonialists, Achcar rescues Marxism from Said’s delineation of Marx as Orientalist. Not for any dogmatic reasons. The aim is to expose the danger for progressive forces when Marxism is characterised, Said-style, as Orientalist." The News International
"One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world."
—Le Monde

"A remarkable little book."
—Radical Philosophy

Praise for The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives:

“A sensitive and insightful exploration of an important dimension of the Middle East conflict—one that we usually only encounter in angry sound bites. Gilbert Achcar’s book, which combines meticulous scholarship and an engaging style, is a significant contribution to the mutual understanding that is in such short supply.”
—Peter Novick, author of The Holocaust in American Life

“The ideological mapping at the heart of Achcar’s work is achieved with such intelligence, sensitivity and learning, and with such admirable concern for the theoretical and methodological, that it deserves to be regarded as one of the finest achievements in contemporary Middle Eastern studies.”
–Ralph Coury, author of Race & Class

"Having demystified the aura surroundingOrientalism, generated mostly by post-colonialists, Achcar rescues Marxism from Said’s delineation of Marx as Orientalist. Not for any dogmatic reasons. The aim is to expose the danger for progressive forces when Marxism is characterised, Said-style, as Orientalist." —The News International

"One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world."
Le Monde

"A remarkable little book."
Radical Philosophy

Praise for The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives:

A sensitive and insightful exploration of an important dimension of the Middle East conflict one that we usually only encounter in angry sound bites. Gilbert Achcar’s book, which combines meticulous scholarship and an engaging style, is a significant contribution to the mutual understanding that is in such short supply.”
Peter Novick, author of The Holocaust in American Life

The ideological mapping at the heart of Achcar’s work is achieved with such intelligence, sensitivity and learning, and with such admirable concern for the theoretical and methodological, that it deserves to be regarded as one of the finest achievements in contemporary Middle Eastern studies.”
Ralph Coury, author of Race & Class

"Having demystified the aura surrounding Orientalism, generated mostly by post-colonialists, Achcar rescues Marxism from Said’s delineation of Marx as Orientalist. Not for any dogmatic reasons. The aim is to expose the danger for progressive forces when Marxism is characterised, Said-style, as Orientalist." The News International

"One of the best analysts of the contemporary Arab world."
—Le Monde

"A remarkable little book."
—Radical Philosophy

Praise for The Arabs and the Holocaust: The Arab-Israeli War of Narratives:

“A sensitive and insightful exploration of an important dimension of the Middle East conflict—one that we usually only encounter in angry sound bites. Gilbert Achcar’s book, which combines meticulous scholarship and an engaging style, is a significant contribution to the mutual understanding that is in such short supply.”
—Peter Novick, author of The Holocaust in American Life

“The ideological mapping at the heart of Achcar’s work is achieved with such intelligence, sensitivity and learning, and with such admirable concern for the theoretical and methodological, that it deserves to be regarded as one of the finest achievements in contemporary Middle Eastern studies.”
–Ralph Coury, author of Race & Class

"Having demystified the aura surroundingOrientalism, generated mostly by post-colonialists, Achcar rescues Marxism from Said’s delineation of Marx as Orientalist. Not for any dogmatic reasons. The aim is to expose the danger for progressive forces when Marxism is characterised, Said-style, as Orientalist." —The News International

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Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism

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