Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Le moderne post (incomplete)

Orientalism

Edward Said
The myth of the clash of civilizations

Pay attention to the criticisms of Said, most of which I find more important than his work, particularly, the very valid accusations of occidentalism. I find it difficult to believe that the generalization employed by oriental scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries (under scrutiny in Said's work), is intended as a willful misrepresentation of the 'truth' about the east. Whatever that is. In this context, Sen's view of generalizations (and a fluid, evolving truth) in his conversations with history talk (see below) is more earthy.

Subaltern studies (to be watched)

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
The trajectory of the Subaltern in my work


Welfare economics etc.

Amartya Sen
Liberal Paradox
Conversations with history
Identity and violence

In connection with Sen's analysis of famine, see Emily Oster