Orientalism by Edward W. Said: A Detailed Summary of Western Concepts of the Orient

It is possible to approach Edward W. Said's Orientalism in two ways. The first is as a discourse analysis of the West's imaginative depiction and study of the Orient—that is, as a study of how Orientalist works have constructed an image of the Orient. The second is as an example of critical scholarship that seeks to avoid the patterns, templates, and clichés often found in the humanities.

In the afterword to the 1995 edition of Orientalism, Edward W. Said emphasizes how the book has been understood and interpreted in different ways. However, he also notes that the work represents the following: “I believe Orientalism as a book shows it, especially when I speak of humanistic study as seeking ideally to go beyond coercive limitations on thought towards a non-dominative and non-essentialist type of learning.” (p. 337)

Orientalism: Western Concepts of the Orient by Edward W. Said (Book Summary)

In this article, I have tried to briefly summarize what Edward Said aims to convey in his book Orientalism, the points he emphasizes, and the examples he uses to explain them. At times, I have directly quoted significant passages from the book, while at other times, I have summarized several pages into just a few sentences to highlight the main ideas.

In the introduction to the book, Edward Said attempts to explain to the reader what the Orient is and the stance he is defending. Right at the outset, he succinctly answers the question “What is the Orient?” by describing it as the “Other” in contrast to the West.

“The Orient is not only adjacent to Europe; it is also the place of Europe's greatest and richest and oldest colonies, the source of its civilizations and languages, its cultural contestant, and one of its deepest and most recurring images of the Other. In addition, the Orient has helped to define Europe (or the West)” (p. 2)

“It will be clear to the reader (and will become clearer still throughout the many pages that follow) that by Orientalism I mean several things, all of them, in my opinion, interdependent. The most readily accepted designation for Orientalism is an academic one, and indeed the label still serves in a number of academic institutions. Anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient—and this applies whether the person is an anthropologist, sociologist, historian, or philologist—either in its specific or its general aspects, is an Orientalist, and what he or she does is Orientalism.” (p. 3)

“My contention is that without examining Orientalism as a discourse one cannot possibly understand the enormously systematic discipline by which European culture was able to manage—and even produce—the Orient politically, sociologically, militarily, ideologically, scientifically, and imaginatively during the post-Enlightenment period. Moreover, so authoritative a position did Orientalism have that I believe no one writing, thinking, or acting on the Orient could do so without taking account of the limitations on thought and action imposed by Orientalism. In brief, because of Orientalism the Orient was not (and is not) a free subject of thought or action. This is not to saythat Orientalism unilaterally determines what can be said about the Orient, but that it is the whole network of interests inevitably brought to bear on (and therefore always involved in) any occasion when that peculiar entity "the Orient" is in question. How this happens is what this book tries to demonstrate. It also tries to show that European culture gained in strength and identity by setting itself off against the Orient as a sort of surrogate and even underground self.” (p. 4)

What is Orientalism?

Orientalism refers to the study of the Orient, but it often relies on a series of clichés and generalizations. Orientalists and their works tend to describe the people and cultures of the Orient using preconceived notions, many of which are accepted unquestioningly by new researchers in the field. These assumptions form the foundation of their theses and research. This imposed limitation, as Edward Said refers to it, is a key point in his critique. Throughout his book, Said highlights these clichés and preconceived notions by quoting and analyzing various authors' works and discourses. These ideas are often reiterated and summarized under several headings:

1. Orientals are as backward in civilization as they are racially inferior.
2. There are Westerners and Orientals (i.e., the Orient is the "Other").
3. Westerners are dominant, and the Orientals must be dominated.
4. Orientals are described as a dependent race.
5. Orientals cannot understand what is good for them and are incapable of self-governance.
6. Orientals are largely the same everywhere (e.g., an Indian and an Arab are nearly identical because they are Orientals, leading the British to apply the same rules in both Egypt and India).
7. The Oriental mindset despises precision. This lack of certainty, which can easily veer away from truth, is the main characteristic of the Oriental mind (in contrast, Europeans are logical and demand solid evidence).
8. The Orient and everything in it are inferior to the West and require the West's reformative efforts.
9. Orientals are sensual and lustful.
10. Semitic peoples reached their peak in their early stages and never attained true maturity (as stated by Renan).

The result of these assumptions is the "Orientalized Orient"—a version of the Orient constructed by Orientalist researchers.

For example:

• The Oriental, according to Lamartine, is a people without land, rights, or security, waiting anxiously to "take refuge in European occupation."
• Flaubert’s depictions of the Orient heavily emphasize sexuality.
• The Orient is a place to be governed, liberated, or indulged in as a site of sexual fantasy.
• Core ideas about the Orient—sensuality, despotism, perversion, laziness, and backwardness—are remnants of 19th-century Orientalism.

These deeply ingrained stereotypes reveal how Orientalism has shaped the West's perception of the Orient, reducing it to a set of oversimplified and prejudiced narratives.

These patterns created by Orientalist studies were not only translated into action but also used to justify the West's colonization of the Orient. From this perspective, colonialism was not merely the West’s occupation of the Orient but was portrayed as something the Oriental desired, needed, and as the West’s “sacred duty.”

In his book, Edward W. Said narrows the scope of his study by defining the Orient primarily as the "Arab-Islamic" world. Similarly, he limits the Western countries whose perspectives and works on the Orient he examines to Britain, France, and, later, the United States, which joined the field of Orientalist studies. However, Said notes that the term "Orient" actually refers to a vast region stretching from Egypt to China. He also acknowledges that his omission of German Orientalism from the book is a shortcoming on his part.

Orientalism Represents and is External to the Orient

In the introduction, Edward W. Said critiques his own work, acknowledging its limitations. Earlier, he admitted that he did not include the works of German authors on Orientalism, calling it a shortcoming. He now adds another point, stating: “Yet even though it includes an ample selection of writers, this book is still far from a complete history or general account of Orientalism. Of this. failing I am very conscious. The fabric of as thick a discourse as Orientalism has survived and functioned in Western society because of its richness: all I have done is to describe parts of that fabric at certain moments, and merely to suggest the existence of a larger whole, detailed, interesting, dotted with fascinating figures, texts, and events. I have consoled myself with believing that this book is one installment of several, and hope there are scholars and critics who might want to write others. There is still a general essay to be written on imperialism and culture;...” (p. 25)

The Structure of the Book

The book is divided into three sections:

• The Scope of Orientalism – The first section outlines the general boundaries of Orientalism, providing an overview of its field of activity.
• Orientalist Structures and Reconstructions – The second section delves into the development of Orientalism, offering a detailed examination of the works of key figures who significantly contributed to the field.
• Orientalism Now – The third section explores modern-day studies and developments related to Orientalism.

Book Details

• Orientalism by Edward W. Said
• First Published: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, 1978
• Edition Used for This Summary: Pantheon Books, 2003 (United States)
• Number of Pages: 375

Final Note

I read Orientalism by Edward W. Said and truly loved it. If you enjoyed this summary and would like to see a more detailed breakdown of the book’s three main sections, please comment below and let me know!

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