The Return Of The The Return Of The OtherOther

Eurocentrism vs. GlobalismEurocentrism vs. Globalism

Presentation by Juliana and JuditPresentation by Juliana and Judit

PLANPLAN

• Eurocentrism – I round: Eurocentrism – I round: Civil society as a Western conceptCivil society as a Western concept

• Eurocentrism – II round: Eurocentrism – II round: EuromarxismEuromarxism as a contextas a contextBrenner’s argumentBrenner’s argument

• CritiqueCritique• SynthesisSynthesis

DEFINITIONDEFINITIONEUROCENTRISM:EUROCENTRISM:• Form of ethnocentrismForm of ethnocentrism• Being centered on Europe or the Europeans, Being centered on Europe or the Europeans,

especially reflecting a tendency to interpret the especially reflecting a tendency to interpret the world in terms of western and especially European world in terms of western and especially European values and experiencesvalues and experiences

• The belief that European culture  is superior to all The belief that European culture  is superior to all others others

• An inability to appreciate Non-European culturesAn inability to appreciate Non-European cultures• An inability to see a common humanity and human An inability to see a common humanity and human

condition facing all women and men in all cultures condition facing all women and men in all cultures and societies beneath the surface variations in and societies beneath the surface variations in social and cultural traditions social and cultural traditions

Civil SocietyCivil Society

EUROPEAN CONCEPTEUROPEAN CONCEPT• Free market and DemocracyFree market and Democracy

RepresentationRepresentationParliamentary governmentParliamentary governmentPluralistic – individualisticPluralistic – individualisticJustice and lawsJustice and lawsHuman rightsHuman rightsRationality and Rationality and Modern knowledge systemModern knowledge system

Civil SocietyCivil Society

WESTERN CONCEPT OF THE OTHERWESTERN CONCEPT OF THE OTHER• Formulated as “lack”, which means:Formulated as “lack”, which means:

AuthoritarianAuthoritarianAbsolutist regimeAbsolutist regimeStaticStaticDespotism Despotism IrrationalIrrationalStagnant and oriental mode of Stagnant and oriental mode of

productionproduction

Goody’s Critique on Goody’s Critique on EurocentismEurocentism

• Extreme universalism vs. cultural relativismExtreme universalism vs. cultural relativism• Achievements of Mesopotamia and Arab Near Achievements of Mesopotamia and Arab Near

EastEast• Indian and Chinese trade systems in AntiquityIndian and Chinese trade systems in Antiquity• Eastern knowledge systems – Sung Eastern knowledge systems – Sung

encyclopedias encyclopedias • Different kinds of democracy and Different kinds of democracy and

representationrepresentation• Not identical but similar regimesNot identical but similar regimes• Examples:Examples:

Civil society in pre-colonial Africa Civil society in pre-colonial Africa Communities with alternative lifestyle in AsiaCommunities with alternative lifestyle in Asia

Euromarxism as a Euromarxism as a ContextContext

• Post Vietnam radical thoughtPost Vietnam radical thought• ReactiReactionary Euromarxismonary Euromarxism

• Brenner’s article needs to be placed Brenner’s article needs to be placed in the context of this debate in the context of this debate

Brenner on CapitalismBrenner on Capitalism

• "Agrarian class structure and economic "Agrarian class structure and economic development in pre-industrial Europedevelopment in pre-industrial Europe” ” (1976)(1976)Marxist critique Marxist critique

• "The origins of capitalist development: A "The origins of capitalist development: A critique of Neo-Smithian Marxismcritique of Neo-Smithian Marxism”” (1977) (1977)restatementrestatement of the theory about the of the theory about the

European origins of capitalism European origins of capitalism critique critique of "Third-Worldist" deviations in of "Third-Worldist" deviations in

modern radical scholarshipmodern radical scholarship

Two main characteristicsTwo main characteristics: eurocentrism and : eurocentrism and diffusionism diffusionism

R. Brenner’s “Agrarian R. Brenner’s “Agrarian Roots of European Roots of European

Capitalism”Capitalism”• Social-property systems (class & property):Social-property systems (class & property):

Historically developed Historically developed Impose the course of the economic evolution Impose the course of the economic evolution

(income distribution & productive forces (income distribution & productive forces development)development)

• Feudalism case – economic stagnation and Feudalism case – economic stagnation and involution:involution:Class reproducing strategies, incompatible with Class reproducing strategies, incompatible with

requirements of growthrequirements of growthDeclining productivity and socio-economic crisisDeclining productivity and socio-economic crisis

Feudalism mechanism of Feudalism mechanism of class reproductionclass reproduction

classes

lords

peasants

MORE!

[surplus extraction by means of extra-economic compulsion]

FOOD, MASTER…

[production for subsistence]

•No specializations of productive units•No systematic reinvestments of surpluses•No technical innovation

The BreakthroughThe Breakthrough

• SELF-SUSTAINING GROWTHSELF-SUSTAINING GROWTH Breakthrough of the system of lordly Breakthrough of the system of lordly

surplus extraction by means of extra-surplus extraction by means of extra-economic compulsoryeconomic compulsory

Undermining the process of full peasant Undermining the process of full peasant ownership of the landownership of the land

Novel social-property Novel social-property systemsystem

ORGANIZERS OF

PRODUCTION

DIRECT PRODUCE

RS

MEANS OF REPRODUTION/SUBSISTEN

CE(especially

land and labor)

MARKET/

COMPETITION

SELL/

BUY

•Specializations of productive units•Systematic reinvestments of surpluses•Technical innovation

Differences within Differences within EuropeEurope

• Different long-term processes of class Different long-term processes of class formation in the various regions formation in the various regions Demographic growth and declining labor Demographic growth and declining labor

productivity productivity Various property settlement in different places Various property settlement in different places Different forms and outcomes of the class Different forms and outcomes of the class

conflicts as response to itconflicts as response to it

• There was no simple “unilinear drift” There was no simple “unilinear drift” towards capitalism by economic evolution towards capitalism by economic evolution – no trans-historical laws– no trans-historical laws

EnglandEngland• AristocracyAristocracy

High level of solidarityHigh level of solidaritySelf-organization (military obligatory)Self-organization (military obligatory)Common interestsCommon interestsNeed of their mutual relationship regulation Need of their mutual relationship regulation Total law domination on peasantryTotal law domination on peasantry

• MonarchyMonarchyIncreasing capacity as a reflection on the Increasing capacity as a reflection on the

aristocracy coherencearistocracy coherenceKing’s law to freeman (exception of the King’s law to freeman (exception of the

unfree peasants)unfree peasants)Reintensification of the seigneur powerReintensification of the seigneur powerDecentralized surplus extraction by Decentralized surplus extraction by extra-

economic compulsion

EnglandEngland• Peasantry

Highly dependant on aristocracyEven density of the population Separated from the land

• Economy developmentCompetitive rates of landExport (wool, cloth production)Industrial employment based on wage laborIncrease of agricultural productionEconomic differentiation of the peasantry –

no choice but compete and innovate• End of political and economical fusion

FranceFrance• AristocracyAristocracy

Competing feudal lordsCompeting feudal lords Involved in the king’s court as employedInvolved in the king’s court as employed Conditional domination over the peasantry Conditional domination over the peasantry

• From monarchy to absolutism as new form of From monarchy to absolutism as new form of centralismcentralism Extreme fragmentarisationExtreme fragmentarisation Lack of effective political organization Lack of effective political organization Centralized system of surplus extraction over the Centralized system of surplus extraction over the

aristocracy (king’s household) aristocracy (king’s household) Accepting peasants’ appeals on lordsAccepting peasants’ appeals on lords Custom lawsCustom laws Tax office stateTax office state Loyalty through private proper rights – private Loyalty through private proper rights – private

property in public sphereproperty in public sphere

FranceFrance• PeasantryPeasantry

United peasantry community which can not United peasantry community which can not be expelled from landbe expelled from land

Peasant mobilityPeasant mobilityRoyal taxes, collected by peasantryRoyal taxes, collected by peasantryGreater consumption possibilities – more Greater consumption possibilities – more

surplus of their own to reinvenstsurplus of their own to reinvenstPopulation growthPopulation growthStrengthening of the peasantry brought Strengthening of the peasantry brought

renewal of the old peasant-base economyrenewal of the old peasant-base economyPulverization and leveling of the peasantryPulverization and leveling of the peasantry

Economy ComparisonEconomy Comparison

• ENGLANDENGLAND Capitalistic-Capitalistic-

agricultural system agricultural system Commercial economy Commercial economy

based on high quality based on high quality productionproduction

Export - import Export - import economyeconomy

Independent regional Independent regional specialization specialization

Once and for all Once and for all improvement and improvement and innovationinnovation

• FRANCEFRANCE Peasant possessorsPeasant possessors Static type of Static type of

agricultural system agricultural system

No qualitative No qualitative agricultural agricultural development for development for economic growtheconomic growth

Criticism Criticism

• Dobb-Sweezy debate Dobb-Sweezy debate

• BlautBlaut

• Andre Gunder Frank Andre Gunder Frank

Jim Blaut Jim Blaut

• England is nothing specialEngland is nothing specialAsia, Africa showed the same level of Asia, Africa showed the same level of

development in terms of:development in terms of:• Untied peasantry, cash tenancy, rural wage Untied peasantry, cash tenancy, rural wage

labor, large scale production for sale, labor, large scale production for sale, peasant struggle, urban processes, peasant struggle, urban processes, commercial activities commercial activities

• Why Europe?Why Europe?Location and accessibility Location and accessibility CColonial accumulation olonial accumulation waswas the basic external the basic external

cause of cause of European emergence European emergence

Andre Gunder FrankAndre Gunder Frank • Key point:Key point: Belief in the continuous history and Belief in the continuous history and

development of a single world system in Afro-development of a single world system in Afro-Eurasia for at least 5,000 years. Eurasia for at least 5,000 years.

• EmphasisEmphasis on on tradetrade relations relations process of process of capital accumulationcapital accumulationcenter-peripherycenter-periphery structure is one of the structure is one of the

characteristics of the world systemcharacteristics of the world systemalternation between hegemony and alternation between hegemony and

rivalryrivalryllong economic cycles of ong economic cycles of ascending and ascending and

descending phasesdescending phases

Wallerstein versus Wallerstein versus GunderGunder

• Discontinuity versus continuity Discontinuity versus continuity

” ”The The West first bought itself a third West first bought itself a third class seat on the Asian economic class seat on the Asian economic train, then leased a whole railway train, then leased a whole railway carriage, and only in the nineteenth carriage, and only in the nineteenth century managed to displace Asians century managed to displace Asians from the locomotivefrom the locomotive” ”

(Gunder) (Gunder)

ImplicationsImplications

• European exceptonalism is a myth European exceptonalism is a myth • It is no use to talk of modes and transitionsIt is no use to talk of modes and transitions• "The ceaseless quest of modern historians looking "The ceaseless quest of modern historians looking

for the 'origins' and roots of capitalism is not much for the 'origins' and roots of capitalism is not much better than the alchemist's search for the better than the alchemist's search for the philosopher's stone that transforms base metal into philosopher's stone that transforms base metal into gold." Indeed, that is the case not only for the gold." Indeed, that is the case not only for the origins and roots, but the very existence and origins and roots, but the very existence and meaning of "capitalism." So, best just forget about meaning of "capitalism." So, best just forget about it, and get on with our inquiry into the reality of it, and get on with our inquiry into the reality of "universal history, wie es eigentlich gewesen ist."universal history, wie es eigentlich gewesen ist.” ” ((ChaudhuriChaudhuri))

Has capitalism ever been Has capitalism ever been born?born?

• The rise of Europe represented a The rise of Europe represented a hegemonic shift from East to hegemonic shift from East to WestWest

• It is impossible It is impossible to to specify what specify what sets the present world system sets the present world system apart from previous onesapart from previous ones Ceaseless accumulation Ceaseless accumulation TTrinity of center/periphery, A/B phased rinity of center/periphery, A/B phased

cycles, and hegemony/ rivalry cycles, and hegemony/ rivalry

How to do history? How to do history?

• Gunder’s recommendationsGunder’s recommendations

• And yours? What do we gain and And yours? What do we gain and lose with each approach? lose with each approach?