Eurocentrism

Since its first publication twenty years ago, Eurocentrism has become a classic of radical thought. Written by one of the world's foremost political economists, this original and provocative essay takes on one of the great "ideological deformations" of our time: Eurocentrism. Rejecting the dominant Eurocentric view of world history, which narrowly and incorrectly posits a progression from the Greek and Roman classical world to Christian feudalism and the European capitalist system, Amin presents a sweeping reinterpretation that emphasizes the crucial historical role played by the Arab Islamic world. Throughout the work, Amin addressesa broad set of concerns, ranging from the ideological nature of scholastic metaphysics to the meanings and shortcomingsof contemporary Islamic fundamentalism. This second edition contains a new introduction and concluding chapter, both of which make the author's arguments even more compelling.

Since its first publication twenty years ago, Eurocentrism has become a classic of radical thought. Written by one of the world's foremost political economists, this original and provocative essay takes on one of the great "ideological deformations" of our time: Eurocentrism. Rejecting the dominant Eurocentric view of world history, which narrowly and incorrectly posits a progression from the Greek and Roman classical world to Christian feudalism and the European capitalist system, Amin presents a sweeping reinterpretation that emphasizes the crucial historical role played by the Arab Islamic world. Throughout the work, Amin addresses a broad set of concerns, ranging from the ideological nature of scholastic metaphysics to the meanings and shortcomings of contemporary Islamic fundamentalism.

Consistently subversive of the established pieties of the West, this book breaks new theoretical and historiographical ground by outlining a compelling non-Eurocentric vision of world history. This second edition contains a new introduction and concluding chapter, both of which make the author's arguments even more compelling.

Samir Amin was born in Egypt in 1931 and received his Ph.D. in economics in Paris in 1957. He is currently the director of UNITAR, a United Nations research institute in Dakar, Senegal. An economic consultant to many Third World countries, he is the author of numerous
books, including Accumulation on a World Scale, Unequal Development, Neo-Colonialism in West Africa, Empire of Chaos, and Re-Reading the Postwar Period (all published by Monthly Review Press).