Saidism

Saidism is the theory founded by Edward Said, that the West's knowledge of Oriental cultures has been, and necessarily is, nothing but a fantasy and a projection which was and necessarily will be only for the purpose of colonial domination and exploitation.

Most Historians of Ideas nowadays seem to view Saidism as a phase which was beneficial in its time for stimulating deeper review and self-criticism of the Western intellectual tradition but also as rather extreme and incomplete.

Bibliography

Oriental Enlightenment, JJ Clarke.