The Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia - (Columbia Studies in International and Global History) by Cemil Aydin (Paperback)

About the Book

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.

Book Synopsis

In this rich intellectual history, Cemil Aydin challenges the notion that anti-Westernism in modern Asia is a political and religious reaction to the liberal and democratic values of the West. Nor is anti-Westernism a natural response to Western imperialism. Instead, by focusing on the agency and achievements of non-Western intellectuals, Aydin demonstrates that modern anti-Western discourse grew out of the legitimacy crisis of a single, Eurocentric global polity in the age of high imperialism.

Aydin compares Ottoman pan-Islamic and Japanese pan-Asian visions of world order from the middle of the nineteenth century to the end of World War II. He looks at when the idea of a universal "West" first took root in the minds of Asian intellectuals and reformers and how it became essential in criticizing the West for violating its own "standards of civilization." Aydin also illustrates why these anti-Western visions contributed to the decolonization process and considers their influence on the international relations of both the Ottoman and Japanese Empires during WWI and WWII.

The Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia offers a rare, global perspective on how religious tradition and the experience of European colonialism interacted with Muslim and non-Muslim discontent with globalization, the international order, and modernization. Aydin's approach reveals the epistemological limitations of Orientalist knowledge categories, especially the idea of Eastern and Western civilizations, and the way in which these limitations have shaped not only the contradictions and political complicities of anti-Western discourses but also contemporary interpretations of anti-Western trends. In moving beyond essentialist readings of this history, Aydin provides a fresh understanding of the history of contemporary anti-Americanism as well as the ongoing struggle to establish a legitimate and inclusive international society.

Review Quotes

The Politics of Anti-Westernism in Asia should become required reading.-- "H-Diplo"

[A]n impressive work.--Michael Farquhar "Journal of Global History"

An extremely well-researched book, bursting with arguments and insights . . . [that] will be a boon for scholars who are interested in East-West relations.-- "Ethics & International Affairs"

Aydin . . . identifies both deep currents in Asian intellectual history and popular views of power and politics. He has a sure grasp of what is fundamental and what is merely of the moment.--Lucian W. Pye "Foreign Affairs"

Aydin convincingly demonstrates that the evolution of anti-Westernisms cannot be divorced from non-Western intellectual and political engagement with concepts, ideals and values originating in Western modernity.-- "Journal of Ottoman Studies"

Aydin's book offers a thorough and nuanced portrayal of Pan-Asian and Pan-Islamic thought.--Michael Facius "H-Soz-u-Kult"

Required reading for anyone researching the history of anti-Western ideology in Asia.--Sven Saaler "Pacific Affairs"

Cemil Aydin has written a fascinating book of exceptional scholarly quality. It explores elegantly, with impressive learning, the responses of Japanese and Ottoman civilizations to the West in the period 1880 to 1945. This study in the history of ideas is surprisingly relevant to such current concerns as 'the clash of civilizations' and 'the future of world order.'--Richard A. Falk, Albert G. Milbank Professor of International Law and Practice, emeritus, and emeritus professor of politics and international affairs, Princeton University

Cemil Aydin presents a profound analysis of anti-Westernism that transcends simplistic polemics about 'why they hate us' and offers a significant contribution to understanding intercultural relations in the modern era. Combining expertise in Middle Eastern and Asian studies, Aydin joins a clear global perspective with an in-depth historical study. The result is a comprehensive understanding of one of the major themes of modern global affairs.--John Voll, professor of Islamic history and associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University

This volume is a rich intellectual history revealing the fascinating ways in which Pan-Islamism and Pan-Asianism were intertwined.--Matthew Connelly, associate professor of history, Columbia University

About the Author

Cemil Aydin is professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His books include The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History (2017).