Describe the early influence of the major religions on the development of near eastern political, social, and economic organizations. The eastern origins of western civilisation john hobson challenges the ethnocentric bias of mainstream accounts of the rise of the west. The eastern origins of western civilisation 9780521547246. The origins of western civilization in the ancient. John hobson is ruthlessly unsparing in his analysis of the origins of the west.
Hobson is a senior lecturer in government and international relations at the university of sydney. The true value of the eastern origins of western civilization resides in its capacity to reveal the manner in which politically expedient mythology has distorted western understanding of both history and culture. The byzantine empire was a vast and powerful civilization with origins that can be traced to 330 a. Eastern civilization today is grounded in ancient history in a number of ways, one of the most interesting of which is the way eastern nations think about human nature, government, and economics. Both western cultures, beginning with ancient greece, and eastern cultures, most notably imperial china, believed that their own way of life was superior. African origins of the major western religions, 1991. Eastern origins of western civilization p2p foundation.
The eastern origins of western civilisation page 8. Theeasternoriginsofwesterncivilisation john hobson challenges the ethnocentric bias of mainstream accounts of the rise of the west. There will be a need for many more such exploratory. Attention is given to mesopotamia, egypt, greece and rome, middle ages society and church, the growth of urban culture and trade, the rise of kings, european exploration of other parts of the world, and the emergence of. I also mentioned how modern humans evolved in africa.
Western civilization traces its roots back to europe and the mediterranean. Purpose and contents of the course innumerable articles and books have been written about east asia and china since this part of the world has been catapulted into the global economic scene with its historic rise. The origin of western civilization in ancient near east definitions. Hobsons thesis is essentially aimed against the prevailing smug quasipositivism of ir theory today and its. John hobson has written an original and insightful book which amounts to no less than an alternative history of the modern world. His 101 western civilization to 1689 humanities department catalog course description. John hobson challenges the ethnocentric bias of mainstream accounts of the rise of the west. He has taught western civilization and world history for decades and has published widely on both, including the other side of western civilization 5th edn, 1999 and experiencing world history2000. In contrast hobson describes the rise of what he calls the oriental west. Cambridge core political sociology the eastern origins of western civilisation by john m. There will be a need for many more such exploratory books. Hobson in 2004, is a book that argues against the historical theory of the rise of the west after. A comparative sociology of international economic and political change 1997, and coauthor with linda weiss of states and economic development.
African origins of the major western religions first published in 1970, continues to be one of dr. They include wellknown and accepted cases algebra, compasses and less established claims, such as the seed drill pp. Revealing the oriental roots of occidental history. He argues that europe first assimilated many eastern inventions, and then. The eastern origins of western civilization 351 europe. E learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The eastern origins of western civilization john m. Mohanty, ann russo and lourdes torres eds, third world women and the politics of feminism. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. Simply put, history as it has been understood in the west has largely been a political invention. This book challenges the ethnocentric bias of mainstream accounts of the rise of the west.
The eastern origins of western civilisation this is a political forum that is nonbiasednonpartisan and treats every persons position on topics equally. John hobson argues that these accounts assume that europeans have pioneered their own development, and that the east has been a passive bystander. History of western civilizationfrom wikipedia, the free encyclopediawestern civilization describes the development of human civilization beginning in the middle east, andgenerally spreading westwards, and it is generally contrasted with eastern civilization. Hobson the eastern origins of western civilization. The authors thesis is a provocative one to those who hold to the view that western civilization developed in a vacuum, void of external influences, powered by an intrinsic motivation. The origins of western civilization in the ancient near. It is often assumed that since ancient greek times europeans have pioneered their own development, and that the east has been a passive bystander in the story of progressive world history. Review of john hobsons eastern origins of western civilization. As a polemic against european triumphalism, the eastern origins of western civilization recalls the hugely influential work of the authors great grandfather, the radical antiimperialist j. Foundations of eastern civilization the great courses. A very brief history of western civilization youtube.
This critical examination of the history, beliefs and myths. Whereas the western nations tend to take an individualist approach to societywith ideas originating in ancient greece and rome and expanded on. Jul 23, 2014 chinas legal system was entirely a penal system with no zones of legal autonomy. His 101 western civilization i iai h2 901 3 hours prerequisites. The eastern origins of western civilisation 1st paperback edition edition. He replied that he thought it would be a good idea. The roman superpower could boast, just like american or western counterparts, of their possession of a highly developed system of law and justice, government and order, and, without doubt, production of goods and services.
Accordingly the reader who expects to be treated to all the speci. Comparison of eastern and western civilization yjchoi. The origins of western civilization in the ancient near east. Many elements of ancient near eastern civilizations were passed on to the west. An older translation of this is available through the western civilization resource center, under online readings, 30 bce 476 ce. The eastern origins of western civilisation by john m. Lings seminal 2002 book, postcolonial international relations and naeem inayatullah and david blaneys equally brilliant. Near eastern people engaged in rational thought and behavior, but did not develop a selfconsciously rational method of inquiry into physical nature and human culture. This course is a survey of western civilization from ancient times to 1689, including the major political, social, economic and intellectual factors shaping western cultural tradition. Hobson in 2004, is a book that argues against the historical theory of the rise of the west after 1492 as a virgin birth,1 but rather as a product of western interactions with more technically and socially advanced eastern civilization. Western civilization i explain the contributions of early egyptians to the development of the western world.
He is the author of the state and international relations 2000, the wealth of states. Its easy to see that such a definition assumes that western cultures were considered superior. Mp3 chapter summaries listen to chapter 1 audio summary flash player with closed captions. Western international theory, 17602010 is a systematic historical overview of the major theories and theorists in international relations and their relationship to eurocentrism. The eastern origins of western civilisation, written by john m. Feb 16, 2005 we began discussing about civilization. Buy the eastern origins of western civilisation by hobson, john m. Easy to read and updated with recent scholarship, the eleventh edition retains many popular features, including comparative timelines, fullcolor art essays, and primary source boxes in each chapter. We are still at the beginning stage of a muchneeded revisionist. The eastern origins of the rise of the west and the return. John hobsons claim for the eastern origins of western civilisation. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
The eastern origins of western civilisation wikipedia. The term western civilization is a catchall to refer to the many cultures of european heritage that share common cultural ideas, philosophical foundations, and. Here we show that minoans and mycenaeans were genetically similar, having at least threequarters of their ancestry from the first neolithic farmers of western anatolia and the aegean 1,2, and most of the remainder from ancient populations related to those of the caucasus3 and iran4,5. The origins of western civilization in the ancient near east, 30001200 b. See derek bodde, basic concepts of chinese law, in law in imperial china, ed. It is linked to ancient greece, the roman empire and with medieval western christendom which emerged from the middle ages to experience such transformative episodes as the renaissance, the reformation, the enlightenment, the industrial revolution, scientific revolution, and the development of liberal democracy. History his his 104 world civilizations ii his 101 western. John hobson on eurocentrism, historical sociology and the.
Dr hobson breaks through the received wisdom about east and west, recasting familiar assumptions about western civilization and tracing the wests indebtedness to the east. The eastern origins of western civilisation kindle edition by john. Western civilization, in fact, prides itself on its roman legacy. The name old stone age is from the materials used to make stone and bone tools. An overview of western civilization the six major periods of western civilization bce bc. Roberts 1985 or landes 1998 who see europe as the prime mover of civilization for the last 500 to years. Hobsons the eastern origins of western civilization offers many reasons, which are only marginally related to the contemporary rise of china and east asia, to ask these questions.
Two further key ir texts that i became aware of were l. Roy casagranda on the origins of the syrian crisis duration. Hobson in 2004, is a book that argues against the historical theory of the rise of the west after 1492 as a virgin birth, but rather as a product of western interactions with more technically and socially advanced eastern civilization. The origin of western civilization in ancient near. As the campaign against the concept advances, not least in american and european universities, i am inclined to agree with gandhi. The eastern origins of western civilisation john m. A brief history, eleventh edition, offers a concise introduction to political, cultural, and intellectual history. Up to 4 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits. Civilization emerged due to creative and intelligent acts and advances. A good idea niall ferguson according to folklore, mahatma gandhi was once asked by a reporter what he thought of western civilization. He currently chairs the advanced placement world history committee. He says that civilization started in the west while i corrected him saying western civilization started in the west but human civilization started in the east. Coming into the modern era, the historical understanding of the east west contrast as the opposition of christendom to its geographical neighbors began.
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