Eurocentrism

Samir Amin

2010362 pages

Since its first publication twenty years ago, Eurocentrism has become a classic of radical thought. Written by one of the world's foremost political economists, this original and provocative essay takes on one of the great "ideological deformations" of our time: Eurocentrism. Rejecting the dominant Eurocentric view of world history, which narrowly and incorrectly posits a progression from the Greek and Roman classical world to Christian feudalism and the European capitalist system, Amin presents a sweeping reinterpretation that emphasizes the crucial historical role played by the Arab Islamic world. Throughout the work, Amin addressesa broad set of concerns, ranging from the ideological nature of scholastic metaphysics to the meanings and shortcomingsof contemporary Islamic fundamentalism. This second edition contains a new introduction and concluding chapter, both of which make the author's arguments even more compelling.

Eurocentrism Contents Preface PART ONE Modernity and Religious Interpretations I. MODERNITY II. MODERNITY AND RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATIONS III. POLITICAL ISLAM PART TWO Central and Peripheral Tributary Cultures I. INTRODUCTION II. THE FORMATION OF TRIBUTARY IDEOLOGY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION III. TRIBUTARY CULTURE IN OTHER REGIONS OF THE PRE-CAPITALIST WORLD PART THREE The Culture of Capitalism I. INTRODUCTION II. THE DECLINE OF METAPHYSICS AND THE REINTERPRETATION OF RELIGION III. THE CONSTRUCTION OF EUROCENTRIC CULTURE IV. MARXISM AND THE CHALLENGE OF ACTUALLY EXISTING CAPITALISM V. THE CULTURALIST EVASION: PROVINCIALISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM VI. FOR A TRULY UNIVERSAL CULTURE PART FOUR Towards a Non-Eurocentric View of History and a Non-Eurocentric Social Theory I. THE TRIBUTARY MODE OF PRODUCTION: THE UNIVERSAL FORM OF ADVANCED PRE-CAPITALIST SOCIETIES II. EUROPEAN FEUDALISM: PERIPHERAL TRIBUTARY MODE III. MERCANTILISM AND THE TRANSITION TO CAPITALISM: UNEQUAL DEVELOPMENT, KEY TO THE MIRACLE OF EUROPEAN PARTICULARITY IV. EUROCENTRISM AND THE DEBATE OVER SLAVERY V. EUROCENTRISM IN THE THEORY OF THE NATION VI. ACTUALLY EXISTING CAPITALISM AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF VALUE NOTES INDEX