Reflections on humanity by Dr. Ali Shariati.

[maria]

Modernism is the natural outcome of an ongoing process of civilisation, just
as democracy is a natural expression of human freedom. Of course as we
change and go forward some things will degrade, but this degradation is
usually more the sign of a dying social ethic or tradition than a decline
into chaos. When women started to fight for freedom people complained that
the mothers place was in the home and that society would collapse. It didn't
happen but children have had to begin a new evolution towards growing up
earlier and taking more decisions.
It is impossible to look at progress through Islam which is a Medieval
system that is inherently primitive, anti-intellectual and anti-progress.
Also it believes that the value of a womans testimony in court is less than
a mans, that men have no control over their sexuality and it is for the
women to cover themselves up and defend themselves by hiding under clothes
from men. Such teachings are stone-age and will never be accepted by the
more advanced countries in the West.
Different countries do have social problems no doubt, and each advance
brings negative side-effects as well, but in the West we have at least the
hope of moving on and improving. In Islam misogyny is set in stone and women
will never be free.
> "Farhat" <alfara...@yahoo.fr> wrote in message
> news:fmRT7.7565$Up1....@afrodite.telenet-ops.be...
> >
> > "Reflections of Humanity"
> > by: Dr. Ali Shariati
> >
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> > ----
> >
> > Debates on the definitions of culture versus barbarism, or on the
question
> > of who is civilized and who is modern are best discussed in the light of
> > Islamic doctrine. Quite significantly, this point must be kept in mind,
> > particularly as a matter of concern to individuals of the educated
classes
> > of Islamic societies upon whom lies the burden of responsibility and
> > leadership of the Umma.
> >
> > Modernity is one of the most delicate and vital issues confronting us,
the
> > people of non-European countries and Islamic societies. A more important
> > issue is the relationship between an imposed modernization and genuine
> > civilization. We must discover if modernity as is claimed is a synonym
for
> > being civilised, or if it is an altogether different issue and social
> > phenomenon having no relation to civilisation at all. Unfortunately
> > modernity has been imposed on us, the non-European nations, in the guise
> of
> > civilization.
> >
> > For the past 150 years, the West has undertaken the task of modernizing
> men
> > with missionary zeal. All non-European nations were put in close contact
> > with the West and western civilization and were to be changed to
'modern'
> > nations. Under the guise of civilizing nations, aquainting them with
> > culture, they presented us with this modernity, (when I say "us", I mean
> the
> > non-European and third world nations), which they persisted in calling
> > "ideal civilization". Our intellectuals should have understood years ago
> and
> > made people realize the difference between civilization and modernity.
But
> > they failed to do so. Why did the educated not notice this issue during
> the
> > 150 years of western modernization of their nations? I will discuss
their
> > failure in this paper later.
> >
> > Before any further discussion I should like to define certain terms on
> which
> > I intend to concentrate, which, if left ambiguous, should render the
> > discussion vague. After explaining the terms, I shall address myself to
> the
> > subject.
> >
> > 1. Intellectual: An everyday term frequently heard in Iranian society
and
> in
> > all societies, European or otherwise. What does it really mean? Whom do
we
> > name intellectual? Who are the intellectuals, and what is their role and
> > responsibility in their own societies?
> >
> > An intellectual is one who is conscious of his own "humanistic status"
in
> a
> > specific social and historical time and place. His self-awareness lays
> upon
> > him the burden of responsibility. He responsibly, self-consciously leads
> his
> > people in scientific, social and revolutionary action. (See also "From
> Where
> > Shall We Begin" and "The Intellectual and his Social Responsibilities"
by
> > Dr. Shariati for further discussion on this).
> >
> > 2. Assimilation: This is at the root of all the troubles and constraints
> > facing the non-Western and Muslim countries. Applies to the conduct of
an
> > individual who, intentionally or unintentionally, starts imitating the
> > mannerisms of someone else. A person exhibiting this weakness forgets
his
> > own background, national character and culture or, if he remembers them
at
> > all, recalls them with contempt. Obsessively, and with no reservation,
he
> > denies himself in order to transform his identity. Hoping to attain the
> > distinctions, and the grandeur, which he sees in another, the
assimilator
> > attempts to rid himself of perceived shameful associations with his
> original
> > society and culture.
> >
> > 3. Alienation: The process of forgetting or becoming unfamiliar with or
> > indifferent to one's self. That is, one loses the self and directs
> > perceptions from within another person or thing. This grave social and
> > spiritual illness manifests itself in many different shapes and forms
and
> > depends on many factors. One factor alienating a human being is the
tools
> > with which he works. Sociology and psychology report that a man, during
> his
> > lifetime gradually tends to forget his real, independant identity as he
> > increases his contact with a certain tool or profession more and more
> every
> > day. He begins perceiving his tools in place of his selfhood.
> >
> > For instance, in a person who deals with nuts and bolts every day from
> 8a.m.
> > to 6 p.m. all feelings, thoughts, affections and personality will
> gradually
> > become suspended. He must perform a certain mechanical task continually.
> > Possibly an assembly belt runs in front of him and he is ordered to skip
> two
> > nuts and twist the third nut once. This man, who has diverse emotions,
> > aptitudes, thoughts, tastes, tensions, hatred, feeling and talent,
becomes
> a
> > body which skips two nuts and twists the third one once most of his
time,
> > during his working hours, which is also the time when he is most active
> and
> > energetic. He becomes an instrument, simply a piece of equipment for
> > production and his effort is confined to a monotonous job which he must
do
> > day after day, and in so doing, suspend all the characteristics which
make
> > up his personality.
> >
> > The best among many examples of such situations was given by Charlie
> Chaplin
> > in a famous film, "Modern Times", in which he plays a man originally
free
> > from any attachment or obligations, with all his desires, emotions,
> > feelings, excitements and needs. He feels love for his sweetheart,
respect
> > for his parents and sympathy for his friends. He enjoys sitting and
> chatting
> > with others, partaking of their normal customs, and exhibits a normal
> > variety of fears, hopes, talents and responses. For instance, when he
sees
> > his mother, he displays feelings towards her as if he had not seen her
for
> a
> > long time. When he meets a friend from the past, he wants to spend some
> > moments with him talking about what happened, about life and the good
old
> > days. He feels love and affection when he sees his sweetheart; he feels
> > hatred and rancour boil when he sees his enemy. He wants to fight,
attack
> > him and gain revenge. He is a human being, with complex needs and
> > expectations. He enjoys a good view and hates seeing a depressing one,
> just
> > as a normal, free man might be expected to.
> >
> > Then he goes to work in a huge and complicated factory whose functioning
> he
> > cannot even conceive. He neither knows what the factory produces nor
what
> > synchronizes its many diverse elements. He applies in an office, fills
out
> > some forms and then is told to report to Mr so and so. Then, he is taken
> > through a hall and into a room. A man comes along and tells him what to
> do.
> > And just what is his job? Here is what his job is all about: there is a
> big
> > hall used as a place for an assembly line where a huge metal belt
> constantly
> > moves. The belt comes in from one side of the hall and goes out the
other
> to
> > other sections of the assembly line. He does not know where the belt
comes
> > from and where it goes and why it does so. Seven or eight workers are
> > standing there beside each other. His job is to skip two nuts on the
> moving
> > tape and twist a third nut once. And again he is to skip two and twist
the
> > third, and this he has to repeat over and over during his 10 hours of
> work.
> > Then the bell rings and his day of work is over. He goes home without
> > knowing what the nuts were and why he did what he was told to do, where
> they
> > came from and where they went to and what they were used for. He cannot
> > understand this job at all. Beside him stand the 7 or 8 other workers;
> they
> > cannot even speak to each other because the belt is moving at such a
speed
> > that if he tries to find out about the worker next to him, and neglects
> the
> > moving belt, he will miss the third nut, the whole factory will stop,
and
> he
> > will be punished or fired.
> >
> > This man must be all eyes to watch the nuts. The work that he performs,
> this
> > human being, is to twist the nuts once or twice and that is all. But a
> human
> > being is a creature with certain characteristics. First of all, he must
> know
> > the purpose of his work, and secondly, he must do a job in order to
> achieve
> > a particular goal. He chooses the goal, and then, once chosen, he
creates
> a
> > job as a means toward that goal. He then begins during the job, to touch
> and
> > feel the essence of his purpose. A certain goal and a chosen outcome
> limits
> > one's work, and eventually one achieves the goal. Apart from seeking a
> goal
> > while he works, being aware of the job, the man is a human with diverse
> > feelings and urges.
> >
> > Charlie Chaplin, in the role of this particular worker, sees his mother,
> > fiancee and friend, who have come to see him in the factory. He is not
yet
> > accustomed to the rough and monotonous system of machinery; he is not
> broken
> > in yet. While he is working, suddenly he sees his mother, fiancee or
> friend,
> > and putting down his tools, leaves his job behind to go to say "Hello .
.
> ..
> > how are you?" "Where have you been?""It's been a long time since I've
seen
> > you. I missed you . . . sit down, let's have a cup of tea and. . . ."
> >
> > Suddenly he sees policemen rushing in, red lights on, alarm bells
ringing,
> > inspectors coming in. What has happened? The factory control system has
> > reported that one single nut has been skipped without being twisted, and
> > everything has come to a standstill. "What have you done?!""How could
> you?!"
> > He is arrested, blamed and punished for his negligence.
> >
> > A momentary manifestation of a simple and natural human sentiment in him
> > causes the system of machinery to break down. This clearly illustrates
> that
> > in the present system there is not the slightest room for expression of
a
> > human sentiment. However, they train and control this very man who once
> had
> > feelings and emotions until he becomes like a machine, too, and after 20
> > years of work the phrases "a human is a rational being," and "a human is
a
> > worshipping animal" and "a human is self-conscious and creative animal"
> and
> > similar phrases normally used to apply to a human, no longer apply to
him.
> >
> > What has this man, after all, become? He is now a "nut twister animal"
who
> > skips two and twists the third nut once. On the street when this man
sees
> a
> > policeman with buttons like nuts on his uniform, he immediately takes
out
> > his wrenches to tighten them. He sees a woman with decoration on her hat
> or
> > coat: immediately it comes to his mind to go and twist it once or twice
or
> > whatever! For him the whole world is summarized in the phrase, "Skip two
> and
> > twist the third." That is his philosophy, identity, reality and title to
> > being a human. Why does he twist? In order to eat. Why does he eat? In
> order
> > to twist! A circular man!
> >
> > This man no longer perceives himself as the being who once had varied
> > sentiments, desires, needs, weaknesses, sensibilities, memories and
> virtues.
> > Those have tumbled down and he has become, in the words of Marcuse, a
> > "one-dimensional man." But Shondel calls him a "circular man" who
produces
> > for the sake of production.
> >
> > This man who once was a little world, a microcosm, like God and with the
> > attributes of God, has now been reduced to an extension of a wrench;
which
> > is to say that the character of the machine, of the bolts and of the
> > mechanical motion, has penetrated him. He no longer considers himself as
> > such and such, the son of so and so, from such and such a family, such
and
> > such a race and background, with such and such peculiarities. Rather he
> > perceives himself and his reality as nothing more than part of a
machine.
> >
> > Alienation may sometimes become a serious mental ailment requiring the
> > attention of a psychoanalyst. At its highest degree of intensity, it may
> > necessitate confinement in an asylum. Alienation, which affects men
> through
> > mechanical and dehumanized discipline, may be caused by bureaucracy and
> > technology as well. As one of the sociologists put it, either Max Weber
or
> > Marcel Moose, in a complicated bureaucracy where there are many booths,
> all
> > numbered, the man who has been working in, say booth 345, for 20 or 30
> years
> > and has been doing the same job for that long, generally considers
himself
> > as booth 345, rather than one having any other name or title. People
> address
> > him as "booth 345" and think of him as "booth 345." And the general
> feeling
> > that he is not attached to anything except "booth 345" generates in him
a
> > feeling that he is "booth 345" not Mr so and so, the son of so and so,
> with
> > such and such characteristics. Such is the alienation caused by
> bureaucracy.
> >
> > Alienated, as a word, means being possessed by a 'spirit', or in
persian,
> a
> > "Jinn." People believed in such 'spirits' in the past, and when a person
> > became insane, they believed that the 'spirit' had possessed him and
> > affected his brain. They thought that the 'spirit' had ejected his
> intellect
> > and taken its place, so that the possessed no longer felt himself human
> but
> > was rather an evil being. The word today means a type of sickness
> described
> > by psychologists and sociologists.
> >
> > As men were possessed by 'spirits' in the old days, today a man is
reduced
> > to the position of a cog in a strict, monotonous and ruthless
bureaucracy
> > due to perpetual contact with a certain mechanical tool. He no longer
> feels
> > and comprehends his individuality; he has "lost" himself. As they used
to
> > believe that a "jinn" possessed man's spirit and made him insane, so
> today,
> > means of production, tools and his type of work, possess him and control
> his
> > spirit. They gradually obliterate his true personality and fill it
instead
> > with the characteristics of machine tools, job routine, bureaucratic
> > hierarchy, and eventually he begins to identify himself with these.
> >
> > There is another kind of "control by jinns" which possesses humanity and
> > alienates a person or an entire class from itself. This type of
alienation
> > is more real, more frightening, and more damaging, and it is this . . .
> > omnipresent form of alienation which affects us, the Iranians, Muslims,
> the
> > Asians, and Africans. It is not an alienation caused by technology - we
> have
> > not been alienated by machines. No machine is involved, nor any
> bureaucracy.
> > A few administrative departments with a limited personnel are in no
> position
> > to alienate any one. Nor has the Bourgeoisie reached the stage from
which
> it
> > could alienate us. Rather, what we are at grips withis something
extremely
> > unpleasant and dangerous - "cultural alienation."
> >
> > What does "cultural alienation" mean? As we have already mentioned,
> > alienation, in any shape or form, indicates a condition in which one
does
> > not perceive himself as he is, but rather perceives something else in
his
> > place. A man in this condition is alienated. What he conceives himself
as
> is
> > not his real self at all, and whether it be as money or as machine or as
> > booth 345, his conception makes no difference at all and depends only on
> > luck or taste.
> >
> > What is culture? I am not going to quote the differing definitions of
> > culture here. However defined, culture includes a collection of
> > intellectual, non-material artistic, historical, literary, religious and
> > emotional expressions (in the form of signs, traditions, customs,
relics,
> > mores) of a nation which have accumulated in the course of its history
and
> > acquired unique form. They signify the pains, desires, temperaments,
> social
> > characteristics, life patterns, social relations and economics structure
> of
> > a nation.
> >
> > When I feel my own religion, literature, emotion, needs and pains
through
> my
> > own culture, I feel my own self, the very social and historical self
(not
> > the individual self), the source from which this culture has originated.
> > Therefore, culture is the expression and super-structure of the real
being
> > of my society, actually the whole history of my society. But certain
> > artificial factors, probably of a dubious nature, creep into a society
> which
> > has well defined social conditions or social relations, developed
through
> a
> > specific historical framework, and aquaint it with pains, sufferings,
> > emotions and sentiments which have an alien spirit and are a product of
a
> > different past, a different society (different both socially and
> > economically). These artificial factors wipe out any real culture and
> > substitute a false culture suitable for different conditions and an
> > altogether different historical stage, a different economy, and a
> different
> > political and social setup. Then, when I wish to feel my own real self,
I
> > find myself conceiving another society's culture instead of my own and
> > bemoaning troubles not mine at all. I groan about cynicism not pertinent
> to
> > cultural, philosophical and social realities of my society. I then find
> > myself harboring aspirations, ideals and anguishes legitimately
belonging
> to
> > social, economic and political conditions of societies other than mine.
> None
> > the less, I treat these desires, ideals, and anguish as if they were my
> own.
> >
> > Another culture has alienated me. The dark skinned man of Africa, the
> Berber
> > of North Africa, the Persian and Indian in Asia, each has a particular
> past
> > and unique present. However, they feel inside particular pain and
concern
> > which they regard as their own, but which are actually offshoots of
> problems
> > of periods following the Middle Ages, the 16th Century renaissance, 17th
> > Century liberalism, the scientific progress of the 18th century, and the
> > ideologies of the 19th century and the capitalist societies that came
into
> > being after World Wars 1 and 2.
> >
> > So, African, Asian people, how does it concern you? Which problem do you
> > have that causes you so much concern regarding its existance, solution,
> > feeling, and reaction? It is as if I had a foot pain and put it down to
> > nerves! Why? Because I associated with people I think more intelligent,
> > polished, respectable and wealthy than myself, and they have "nervous
> > disorders." Rather than admitting that my foot aches, and seeking
> medication
> > for, let's say, corns; I seek a psychiatrist for the "nervous disorder"
to
> > which I attribute my pain.
> >
> > My conceptions of myself are not as I actually am in reality, but as
> "they"
> > are; that is, I am alienated. Is it not ridiculous to have, in a society
> > with so much starvation and general feelings, desires and behaviour
> > resembling those of present day Americans, English or French? The latter
> is
> > surfeited with an excess of delicacies and pleasures and lacks purpose
and
> > goals. He wants rest and seeks peace. He is sick of the strict
discipline
> > imposed on him by the machine. He groans and complains of the discipline
> and
> > order which have caused him so much distress. But I, suffering from the
> lack
> > of technology, am yet groaning and complaining of distresses caused by
> > technology! It's as if we were run over by a car, had broken our arms
and
> a
> > leg, had blood all over our face and head; and yet, we empathize and
feel
> > for the person behind the wheel, who is fed up with having to drive and
> run
> > over people!
> >
> > In this way non-European societies become alienated by European
societies:
> > their intellectuals no longer feel Eastern, groan like an Eastern person
> or
> > aspire to be Eastern people. The intellectual does not suffer because of
> his
> > own social problems, rather he conceives of the pain, sufferings,
feelings
> > and needs of an European in the final stage of capitalistic and
> > materialistic success and enjoyment. Thus, today the most painful
disorder
> > possible sweeps non-European countries, the psychological disorder of
> > non-Europeans who possess a unique character and yet deny it. They hold
in
> > mind something alien. They conceive of someone else and imitate him
> blindly.
> >
> > These non-European countries in the past were real and genuine. If you
had
> > visited these countries, say 200 years ago, they would have lacked
today's
> > Western Civilization, but each and every one of them had its own
authentic
> > and solid civilization. They were unique: their desires, their
delicacies,
> > their forms of worship and all their good and bad behaviour; their
action,
> > their beauties, their philosophy, their religion - everything belongs to
> > them. For instance, if I had gone to a country like India or any African
> > country, I would know that they had their own unique tastes and
> > buildings.They composed their own unique poetry, pertinant to their
> culture,
> > and relevant to their lives.They had their own unique social manner.
They
> > had their own unique colors, maladies, desires and religions. All they
had
> > was their own. In spite of the fact that they were far below the level
of
> > present day civilization and material enjoyment, still, what they had,
> > however trifling, was their own. They were not sick, poor they were, but
> > poverty is something different from sickness.
> >
> > But today, western societies have been able to impose their philosophy,
> > their way of thinking, their desires, their ideas, their tastes and
their
> > manners upon non-Europeans countries to the same extent that they have
> been
> > able to force their symbols of civilization (technological innovations)
> into
> > these countries which consume new products and gadgets; countries which
> can
> > never adjust themselves to European manners, longing, tastes and ways of
> > thinking.
> >
> > As Alined Yope, one of the greatest black intellectuals, puts it:
> "societies
> > have come into being outside the European civilization - like our
> > societies - which are "mosaic societies." What does he mean by "mosaic
> > societies"? A mosaic contains hundreds of colored tiles with different
> > shapes and colors, all pressed in a mold. What shape do these tiles
make?
> > None! A mosaic has different colors and is composed of different pieces
of
> > gravel with different shapes, but in sum has no shape. Some
civilizations,
> > too, are mosaic civilizations. That is, civilizations which carry some
> > leftover parts from the past, some deformed parts from Europe, and the
> > combination of the two produces a half-civilized, half-modernized
society.
> > It is a mosaic also in that we did not choose the same materials as the
> > Europeans to make a civilization for ourselves, because we did not know
> what
> > a civilization was and how to form it. It is they who gave us the form,
as
> > well.
> >
> > So without knowing what to make and without having any prior intention
of
> > how to form our society according to our own tastes and thoughts, and
> > without knowing how to integrate different parts, or properly taking
from
> > here and there according to pre-planning, we started putting together
> > different parts and elements to build a modern but formless society with
> no
> > aim or goal. In the distorted result we find parts from everywhere, some
> > native, some European, some old-fashioned and some modern - all piled up
> in
> > shapeless, aimless confusion, and in result, creating a shapeless ,
> aimless
> > society as well. Such societies are non European societies which, during
> the
> > last century, have been able to get their construction materials from
the
> > West, in the name of civilization.
> >
> > What is the origin of the emergence of this mosaic civilisation (or what
I
> > would call cameleopard societies) in non-European countries which have
no
> > special shape and no fixed goal? It is not clear what kind of societies
> they
> > are; their people and intellectuals cannot understand what they live
for,
> > what their goal is, what their future holds and what their ideology
> > contains.
> >
> > The machine emerged and developed during the 17th, 18th and 19th
centuries
> > in Europe in the hands of the capitalists and the rich. The machine has
> the
> > characteristic of the need for constant increase in production when it
is
> > working. This is the machine's coercion. If it does not increase its
> > production with 10 or 11 years, it will die out, it cannot continue to
> > function and cannot compete with other machines. Why? Because if it does
> not
> > increase its production, other machines, producing the same merchandise
on
> a
> > larger scale, can sell it cheaper. Therefore, the production of the
> obsolete
> > machine stagnates. The machine must produce more and more to be able to
> pay
> > more to labor and to put products in the market more cheaply than its
> > competitors. Science and technology have contributed to the development
of
> > the machine and improved its efficiency. This development has changed
the
> > face of humanity today. We should not consider it as one of the problems
> > emerging in the world today; rather, strictly speaking, there is no
other
> > problem but this, which has been before us for the last two centuries.
> From
> > it grow all the other problems facing the world today.
> >
> > The machine must increase its production progressively each year.
> > Therefore,to avoid stock-piling, it must also progressively create the
> > necessity of continuous consumption. However people's consumption does
not
> > increase at the same rate as does production. A certain society may have
> 30%
> > increase in its paper consumption in 10 years and 300%, or tripling, of
> its
> > paper production. Ten years ago machines produced 5 kilometers of paper
> per
> > hour andtoday produce 50 kilometers per hour, while paper consumption
has
> > not risen and cannot rise to that extent.
> >
> > So what is to be done about excess production or surplus? What is to be
> done
> > with the extra piles of paper? New fields of consumption must be
provided.
> > Each European country has a special and particular taste and a fixed
> > consumption; their populations do not exceed 40 to 60 million.The
frantic
> > production rate, rising constantly, exceeds the desires of people to
> > consume. They can't keep up! Thus since the machine has compulsively
> > produced excess goods, it must step over it's national boundary and push
> > goods into foreign markets. When the capitalists gained control of
> > machinery, technology and science in the 18th century, humanity's
destiny
> > was determined. Every single human on the face of the earth would be
> coerced
> > into becoming a consumer for the produced merchandise. European markets
> > became saturated rapidly; consequently the surplus goods had to go to
Asia
> > and Africa. Asians and Africans had to consume the surplus European
> > products.
> >
> > Can these products actually be taken to the East, whose pattern of life
> does
> > not require them, and force their consumption? Impossible! When you
enter
> an
> > Asian society you notice that the Asian's clothing is made by his wife
or
> in
> > a native workshop. They wear traditional garments. There is no demand
here
> > for the products of factories which make machines, or "high fashion"
> > clothes, or the "modern" fabrics of Europe. In an African society we
will
> > notice that their desires, interests and joys are confined to
horse-riding
> > and appreciation of the grace of their horses. They lack highways,
> drivers,
> > ideas of machines, and the need for any of these. In their style of life
> > their production is equal to their consumption, which is consistent with
> > their traditions, tastes and necessities. For them, therefore, an
> > automobile, as any other European product, is entirely redundant.
> >
> > European factories produced an ever-increasing quantity of luxury goods
> and
> > sought for them a market in Asian and African countries. It was out of
the
> > question to expect Asian and African men and women to use these products
> in
> > the 18th century or even the 19th even if the products had been
furnished
> > free. They had other enjoyments; they had their own special native
> > adornments. An African or Asian woman had no need for European cosmetics
> and
> > no need for trinkets to beautify herself and dress up. She already had
her
> > own cosmetics, her own materials and make-up. She would use them and all
> > would admire her. Nor would she feel any need for a change.
> >
> > As a result of her attitude, the capitalist's merchandise remained
unsold.
> > People with this way of thinking, with unique necessities and tastes,
who
> > have their own life style and produce their own necessities, were not
the
> > type of people who would consume the products of 18th century European
> > capitalists. So what to do? The problem was to make people in Asia and
> > Africa consumers of European products. Their societies must be
structured
> so
> > they would buy European products. That meant changing a nation
literally.
> > They had to change the nation, and they had to transform a man in order
to
> > change his clothing, his consumption pattern, his adornment, his abode
and
> > his city. What part of him to change first? His morale and his thinking.
> Who
> > could change the spirit of a society, the morale of a society and the
way
> of
> > thinking of a nation? In this respect, there was little the European
> > capitalist, engineer or producer could do. Rather, it was the business
of
> > the enlightened European intellectuals to plan a special method of
> > perverting the mind, the taste and lifestyle of the non-European, not in
a
> > way that he himself chooses, - since the change he desires might not
> > necessitate the consumption of European products - rather his desires,
his
> > choices, his suffering, his sorrow, his tastes, his ideals, his sense of
> > beauty, his tradition, his social relations, his amusements - all must
be
> > changed so that he is coerced into becoming a consumer of European
> > industrial products. So the big producers and big European capitalists
of
> > the 18th and 19th centuries let the intellectuals handle this project.
> >
> > This was the project: all the people of the world must become uniform.
> They
> > must live alike.They must think alike. Practically, it is impossible for
> all
> > the nations to think in the same way. What structural elements go into
the
> > personality and spirit of a man and nation? Religion, history, culture,
> past
> > civilization, education and tradition. All of these mentioned are the
> > structural elements of a man's personality and spirit and, in its
general
> > term, of a nation. These elements differ from one society to another.
They
> > result in one form in Europe, another in Asia and in Africa. They all
have
> > to become the same. The differences in thinking and spirits of the
nations
> > of the world must be destroyed in order for men to become uniform.They
> must
> > conform, wherever they are, to a single pattern. What is this pattern?
The
> > pattern is provided by Europe: it shows all Easterners, Asians,
Africans,
> > how to think, how to dress, how to desire, how to grieve, how to build
> their
> > houses, how to establish their social relations, how to consume, how to
> > express their view, and finally how to like and what to like. Soon it is
> > realized that a new culture called "modernization" was presented to the
> > whole world.
> >
> > Modernity was the best method of diverting the non-European world, from
> > whatever form and mould of thinking, from their own mould, thought and
> > personality. It became the sole task of Europeans to place the
temptation
> of
> > "modernization" before the non-European societies of any complexion. The
> > Europeans realized that by tempting the inhabitant of the East with a
> > compulsive desire for "modernization", he would cooperate with them to
> deny
> > his own past and desecrate and destroy with his own hands the
constituents
> > of his own unique culture, religion and personality. So the temptation
and
> > longing for "modernization" prevailed all across the Far East, Middle
> East,
> > Near East and in Islamic and Black countries - and to become modernized
> was
> > regarded as becoming like the Europeans.
> >
> > Strictly speaking, "modernized" means modernized in consumption. One who
> > becomes modernized is one whose tastes now desire "modern" items to
> satisfy
> > his wants. In other words, he imports from Europe new forms of living
and
> > modern products, and he does not use new types of products and a
lifestyle
> > developed from his own original and national past. Non-Europeans are
> > modernized for the sake of consumption. Westerners, however, could not
> just
> > tell others they were going to reshape their intellect, mind and
> personality
> > for fear of awakening resistance. Therefore, the Europeans had to make
> > non-Europeans equate "modernization" with "civilization" to impose the
new
> > consumption pattern upon them, since everyone has a desire for
> civilization.
> > "Modernization" was defined as "civilization" and thus people cooperated
> > with the European plans to modernize. Even more than the bourgeois and
> > capitalist, the non-European intellectual labored mightily to change
> > consumption patterns and lifestyles in their societies. Since the
> > non-Europeans could not produce the new products, they became
> automatically
> > dependant upon the technology which produces for them and expects them
to
> > buy whatever it produces.
> >
> > While studyingin Europe, I heard of an automobile factory that
advertised
> > high-paying jobs for sociologists and psychologists. I was looking for a
> > job, and besides I became very interested in knowing why a car factory
> > needed sociologists and psychologists. So I went there for a job
interview
> > with the man in the public relations department. He asked me, "Perhaps
you
> > are wondering why we are recruiting sociologists while we usually hire
> > mechanical engineers and the like?" I said yes. He brought out a map of
> all
> > of Asia and Africa and pointed to some cities, telling me that in some
> there
> > was a great demand for the cars and many customers but that in others
> there
> > was no demand. He continued:"We can't find out why there is no demand
from
> > engineers. It is the sociologists' task to find out what these people
like
> > and why they don't buy cars, so we can change the color or design of the
> > cars, if possible, and if not, make them change their taste." Then he
gave
> > me an example of European sociologists' success in modernizing a certain
> > tribe.
> >
> > He showed me a wooded and mountainous area on the bank of the Chad River
> in
> > Africa where many long-nomadic tribes lived. People there did not wear
> > clothes and kept cattle for a living. He pointed out some areas where a
> > group of people lived around the tribal chief's castle. They had no
> schools,
> > no roads or highways, no clothes and no houses. They lived in tents.
Then
> he
> > told me that the chief of this semi-wild village had parked two modern
> > Renaults with gold trim in front of his palace.
> >
> > "These natives were only interested in horses originally. The person who
> > possessed the best horse was the most well-known and envied. Everyone
> tried
> > to raise the best horse as a means of self-glorification and achieving
> > dominance. As long as this kind of consciousness predominated in the
> tribe,"
> > the car employer told me, "no-one would buy a car. Rather, all of them
> would
> > continue to buy horses, and we do not produce any horses. So we tried to
> > think of a way to make the natives buy the automobiles we produce in
> > Europe."
> >
> > "The women of the tribe make themselves up attractively with
preparations
> > made of gum and sap from the forest, and everyone likes their style.
Happy
> > with their local culture, folk dance and native food, it is obvious that
> no
> > women in the tribe will buy Christian Dior cosmetics nor would the men
buy
> > Renaults. Europeans never even tried to sell them anything. But
eventually
> a
> > development allowed the European sociologists an opportunity to change
the
> > taste of the natives. The chief of the tribe used to tie two beautiful
> > horses with his best hunting dog in front of his headquarters, and now
we
> > have changed his taste. We have modernized him: instead of tying up his
> > horses in front of his place, now, he takes pride in parking there the
two
> > Renaults with golden trim."
> >
> > I asked him with surprise: " But they don't have any roads?" "They have
> > built a temporary 8 kilometer road," he said.
> >
> > "When the chief of the tribe first bought the car, every morning he
would
> > take a ride and all the people of the tribe would gather and watch the
> car.
> > He did not know how to drive, so he hired one from here. The driver
worked
> > for him eight months and received a handsome salary. There were no gas
> > stations near the tribe, so the gas was bought from far distances by
> boat."
> >
> > So the goal of the capitalist was not really to civilize this tribe but
to
> > modernize it. The chief who was proud of his horse and was a horse rider
> is
> > now proud of his car and enjoys driving it. The chief of the tribe, like
> > many other Asians or non-Europeans, has become modernized but one must
> > really be naive to judge superficially that he has become civilised as
> well.
> >
> > Modernization is changing traditions, mode of consumption and material
> life
> > from old to new. People made the old ways; machines produce the new. To
> make
> > all the non-Europeans modernized, they first had to overcome the
influence
> > of religion, since religion causes any society to feel a distinctive
> > individuality. Religion postulates an exalted intellectuality to which
> > everyone relates intellectually. If this intellect is crushed and
> > humiliated, the one who identifies himself with it feels also crushed
and
> > humiliated. So native intellectuals began a movement against
"fanaticism".
> > As Franz Fanon says: "Europe intended to captivate the non-European by
the
> > machine. Can a human or society be enslaved by a machine or certain
> European
> > product without taking away or depriving him of his personality?" No, it
> can
> > not. The personality must be wiped out first.
> >
> > Since religion, history, culture, as a totality of intellect, thought,
> > amassed art and literature give personality to a society, they all have
to
> > be destroyed, too. In the 19th century I would feel as an Iranian that I
> was
> > attached to a great civilization of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th
> centuries
> > of Islam which was unparallelled in the world and had the whole world
> under
> > its influence. I would feel that I was attached to a culture, more than
> 2000
> > years old, which in various forms and shapes, had created new
> > intellectualism, new art and literature in the world of humanity. I
would
> > feel that I was attached to the Islam that was the newest, the most
> sublime
> > and the most universal religion, creating all those intellectualities
and
> > dissolving all those different civilizations in itself to create a
greater
> > civilization. I would feel attached to the Islam which created the most
> > beautiful spirit and the most sublime face of humanity, and I could also
> > feel, as a human, that I had a unique personality in the eyes of the
world
> > and every person in it. So how could they convert such an "I" into a
> gadget
> > whose only function is to consume new products?
> >
> > They would deprive him of his personality. He must be dispossessed of
all
> > the "I's" he feels within. He must be forced to believe himself related
to
> a
> > humbler civilization, a humbler social order, and accept that European
> > civilization, Western civilization and the Western race are superior.
> Africa
> > must believe that an African is a savage, so that he is tempted to
become
> > "civilized" and put himself readily into the hands of the Europeans who
> will
> > determine his fate. The poor man does not realise that he is being
> > modernized instead of being civilized. That is why we see that all of a
> > sudden in the 18th and 19th centuries the Africans were described as
> savages
> > and cannibals. Those Africans who had dealt with the Islamic
civilisation
> > for centuries were never known as cannibals. Suddenly the Black African
> > becomes a cannibal, has a special smell, has a special race. The grey
part
> > of his brain does not work, and the forepart of his brain, like the
> Asian's,
> > is shorter compared to the Westerner's!
> >
> > Even their doctors and biologists have 'proven' (!) that the Westerner's
> > brain has an extra gray peel, which Easterners and Blacks lack!! They
also
> > have 'proven' that the Westerner's brain has an additional length to the
> > genes in the brain cells which allows him to think better than a
> > non-Westerner! Then we see that a new culture was built on a basis of
> > "Western superiority" and "the superiority of its civilization and its
> > people". They made us and the world believe that the European was
> > exceptionally talented mentally and technically, whereas the Easterner
had
> > strange emotional and gnostic talents and the Negro was only good for
> > dancing, singing, painting and sculpture.
> >
> > Consequently, the world was divided into three distinct races: one which
> can
> > think, that is, the European(!) (right from the days of ancient Greece
up
> to
> > now!) and the one which can only feel or make poetry, the Easterner, who
> has
> > only mystical and gnostic feelings, and the Black, who can dance, sing
and
> > play good jazz.
> >
> > Then this very way of thinking, which was introduced to the world to
> justify
> > the need for modernizing the non-European nations, became the basis of
> > thought for the non-European elites as well. We see how they created a
> > conflict between the "modernized" and the "old-fashioned" in
non-European
> > societies for 100 years; a conflict which was, and still is, the most
> > senseless fight one has ever seen.
> >
> > Modernization in what? In consumption, not in mind. Old fashioned in
what?
> > In the form of consumption. It was natural that the fight ended in favor
> of
> > modernization, and even if it had ended otherwise, it would not have
been
> to
> > the benefit of the masses. In this fight, the fight between the
modernized
> > and civilized, the European was the leader. In the name of civilization,
> the
> > campaign for modernization was carried on, and then for 100 years, for
> more
> > than 100 years, the non-European societies themselves strove to become
> > modernized under the leadership of their sophisticated intellectuals.
> >
> > Let us consider the genesis and composition of this class of
> intellectuals.
> > Jean Paul Sartre in the preface to "The Wretched of the Earth" points
out:
> > "We would bring a group of African or Asian youth to Amsterdam, Paris,
> > London......for a few months, take them around, change their clothes and
> > adornments, teach them etiquette and social manners as well as some
> fragment
> > of language. In short, we would empty them of their own cultural values
> and
> > then send them back to their own countries. They would no longer be the
> kind
> > of person to speak their own mind; rather they would be our mouthpieces.
> We
> > would cry the slogans of humanity and equality and then they would echo
> our
> > voice in Africa and Asia, "-manity","-quality."
> >
> > These were the persons who convinced people to lay aside their
orthodoxy,
> > discard their religion, get rid of native culture (as these had kept
them
> > behind the modern European societies) and become westernized from the
tip
> of
> > the toe to the top of the head!
> >
> > How is it possible to become Europeanized through export and exchange?
Is
> > civilization a product that one can export and import from one place to
> > another? Of course not ; but modernity is the collection of modern
> products
> > which can be imported by a society within a period of 1,2 or 5 years. A
> > certain society can be completely modernized within a few years.
Likewise
> an
> > individual could also become throughly modernized, even more modernized
> than
> > the European himself. You can change his mode of consumption and he
> becomes
> > modernized. That is exactly what the Europeans were expecting.
> >
> > But it is not so simple to civilise a nation or a society. Civilization
> and
> > culture are not European-made products whose ownership makes anyone
> > civilized. But they made us believe that all modernization nonsense was
a
> > manifestation of civilization! And we eagerly threw away everything we
> had,
> > even our social prestige, morality and intellect, to become thirsty
> suckers
> > of what Europe was eager to trickle into our mouths. This is what
> modernity
> > really means.
> >
> > Thus a being was created devoid of any background, alienated from his
> > history and religion, and a stranger to whatever his race, his history
and
> > his forefathers had built in this world; alienated from his own human
> > characteristics, a second-hand personality whose mode of consumption had
> > been changed, whose mind has been changed, who had lost his old precious
> > thoughts, his glorious past and intellectual qualities and has now
become
> > empty within. As Jean Paul Sartre puts it: "In these societies an
> > "assimilae"- meaning a quasi-thinker and quasi-educated person - was
> > created, not a real thinker or intellectual."
> >
> > A real intellectual is one who knows his society, is aware of it's
> problems,
> > can determine its fate, is knowledgeable about its past and who can
decide
> > for himself. These quasi-intellectuals, however, succeeded in
influencing
> > the people. Who were these quasi-intellectuals in non-European
societies?
> > They were intermediaries between those who had the products and those
who
> > had to consume the products. A mediator who, aquainted both with the
> > Europeans and with his own people, eased the way of colonization and
> > exploitation.
> >
> > That was why they created native intellectuals who did not dare to
choose
> > for themselves, who don't have the courage to maintain their own
opinions
> > and who cannot decide for themselves. Such persons came to be deemed
mean
> > and inferior to the extent that when asked about the flavor of their
food,
> > the music they listen to, the clothes they wear, they do not have the
> > conviction to say whether they like or dislike them. This is because it
is
> > no longer they who decide. They have to be told that such and such a
dress
> > is worn in Europe, and so they can like it. They are told that a
> > particularly bitter food, which to them tastes like poison, is eaten in
> > Europe and, therefore, they can eat it, even if it does not suit their
> > taste. They eat it anyway because the Europeans eat it; they lack the
> > courage and assurance to say they dislike it.
> >
> > In Europe and America, when people go to a place where jazz is being
> played
> > and they don't like it, they just say so bluntly, and loudly. But in
> Eastern
> > countries no one can be brave enough to say "Jazz is bad and I do not
like
> > it." Why? Because they have not left him enough personality and human
> value
> > to let him choose the color of his dress and the flavor of his food. As
> > Fanon says: "In order for Eastern countries to be the followers of
Europe
> > and imitate her like a monkey, they should have proven to the
> non-Europeans
> > that they do not possess the same quality of human values as the
Europeans
> > do. They should have belittled their history, literature, religion and
art
> > to make them alienated from all of it. We can see that the Europeans did
> > just that."
> >
> > They have created a people who do not know their own culture, but still
> are
> > ready to despise it. They know nothing about Islam but say bad things
> about
> > it. They cannot understand a simple poem but criticize it with poorly
> chosen
> > words. They do not understand their history but are ready to condemn it.
> On
> > the other hand, without reservation they admire all that is imported
from
> > Europe. Consequently, a being was created who, first became alienated
from
> > his religion, culture, history and background, and then came to despise
> > them. He was convinced he was inferior to the European. And when such a
> > belief took root in him, he tried and wished to refute himself, to sever
> his
> > connections with all the objects attached to him and somehow make
himself
> > like a European, who was not despised and looked down upon, and at least
> be
> > able to say, "Thank God I am not an Easterner since I modernized myself
> > sufficiently to reach the level of a European."
> >
> > And while the non-European is happy with the idea that he has been
> > modernized, the European capitalist and bourgeois laugh at their success
> in
> > converting him into a consumer of their surplus production.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>