Philosophy Categorization ala European Colonial and Philosophical Eurocentrism
Philosophical Eurocentrism
In the article "A New Age in the History of Philosophy", Enrique Dussel tells that starting in 1492, Western / European people dominated and colonized most parts of the world, especially in Eastern countries.
This needed to be done to legalize their occupation, for that the Western colonialists then created a philosophy.
This philosophy is called 'Modern European Philosophy'.
This philosophy developed rapidly and was disseminated in their colonies in all parts of the world so that this philosophy dominated and dominated and marginalized the local philosophical traditions in their colonies.
In other words, Modern European Philosophy has participated in colonizing local philosophies in the colonies together with the colonialists.
As a result of this, the local philosophical tradition is slowly dying, until it finally becomes paralyzed and dies.
So, when Modern European Philosophy was developing, local philosophy died, such as what we can find in philosophy in China (in the 16th century AD), philosophy in Arab countries (in the 15th century AD), and philosophical traditions in Spain (in 16th century AD).
Since Modern European Philosophy is the only winner, it also claims to be the only universal philosophy, which is meant as a universal philosophy is a philosophy whose truth applies throughout the world.
Apart from Modern European Philosophy, it is not a universal philosophy.
All the local thinkers and philosophers who were colonized in the colony were forced to kneel and kneel to accept it as a universal philosophy.
Since then, said Dussel, what is called "Philosophical Eurocentrism" has developed in the history of philosophy (Dussel 2008: 12-14).
"Philosophical Eurocentrism" is the awareness that the European colonizers instilled into the brains and the conviction of the colonialists that Modern European Philosophy is the only true philosophy, which must be followed, which must be believed to be true, while other philosophies are wrong, which must be thrown away. -far, and that must be questionable.
The question now is: "Are we who are independent of European / Western colonialism already independent from Philosophical Eurocentrism?" Unfortunately, the answer is not at all.
For example, in the author's country, Indonesia. In Indonesia alone, we still find many signs of Philosophical Eurocentrism in philosophical studies, especially in other countries.
What are the signs that Philosophical Eurocentrism is still entrenched in this realm of independence?
One of the signs is on the problem of philosophical categorization. Many philosophy lecturers still use the colonial-style European / Western-style categorization of philosophy, and they still feel there is no need to create an alternative philosophical categorization even though it could be better than the colonial Western / European-style categorization of philosophy.
European Colonial Categorization of Philosophy
Like what was the philosophical categorization of the European colonizers that was still preserved in the previously colonized countries even though the country had separated from European colonialism?
In books on the history of standard philosophy, philosophy in Europe is usually divided into four categories:
- Ancient / Antiquity Philosophy
- Medieval Philosophy
- Modern Philosophy
- Post-modern Philosophy.
If that categorization is applied only in books of European philosophy, then it does not pose a problem.
It will be a big problem if it is also applied in philosophy books in non-Western countries.
However, that is the reality of what is happening today.
If it is a Western person who wrote the book, we can still consider it normal, but if the person who wrote the book is a non-Western person, that is very unnatural, and that is a sign that Philosophical Eurocentrism is still strong in this post-colonial era!
European Written Books
Examples of non-Western philosophical books written by Western authors and which use colonial Western-style philosophical categorizations are as follows :
- Routledge History of World Philosophies: History of Jewish Philosophy edited by Oliver Leaman & Daniel H. Frank (Routledge, London & New York, 1997). In this book, Oliver Leaman & Frank divides Jewish philosophy into 4 categories: 1) Foundational Jewish Philosophy; 2) Medieval Jewish Philosophy; 3) Modern Jewish Philosophy, and 4) Contemporary Jewish Philosophy.
- Islamic Philosophy and Theology: An Extended Survey by W. Montgomery Watt (Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 1985). In this book, Watt divides Islamic philosophy into 3 categories: 1) Classical Islamic Philosophy; 2) Islamic Philosophy of the Middle Ages (Middle Ages Islamic Philosophy); and 3) Islamic Philosophy in Modern Period.
- Thomas P. Kasulis' article entitled “Japanese Philosophy” (pp. 463-474) in Edward Craig's The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Routledge, London & New York, 2005). In this book, Thomas Kasulis divides Japanese philosophy into 3 categories: 1) Japanese Philosophy of Antiquity (Archaic); 2) Medieval Japanese philosophy (Medieval); and 3) Modern Japanese Philosophy; and others.
Non-Western Written Books
Examples of non-Western philosophical books written by non-Western authors but instead using colonial Western-style philosophical categorizations are as follows:
- Routledge History of World Philosophies: History of Chinese Philosophy edited by Bo Mou (Routledge, London & New York, 2009). In this book, Bo Mou (who is a native Chinese) uses the categorization of colonial Western-style philosophy for Chinese philosophy. According to Bo Mou, Chinese philosophy is divided into two categories: 1) Classical Chinese Philosophy; 2) Modern Chinese Philosophy.
- Islamic Philosophy, Theology, and Mysticism: A Short Introduction and A History of Islamic Philosophy (Columbia University Press, New York, 2004) are both by Majid Fakhry. In these two books, Fakhry (who is a native Arab) uses the categorization of Western-style philosophy into Islamic Philosophy. According to him, Islamic philosophy is divided into 2 categories: 1) Classical Islamic Philosophy and 2) Modern Islamic Philosophy; and many more.
