In this book, the author attempts to debunk some myths about Western exceptionalism and to evaluate critically the characteristics that make the West superior to the Rest. The author suggests that the West does not represent a homogenous group of countries and that the most common characteristic of the core Western countries is imperialism. The author goes on to provide a detailed critique of the proclaimed characteristics of Western countries, including democracy, human rights, judicial independence, transparency, the rule of law, and exclusive contribution to science and technology. A critique is presented of the views expressed by Samuel Huntington, Francis Fukuyama, and Niall Ferguson, arguing that they do not recognize the historical fact that civilizations rise and fall. It is argued that the Western economic system, which is based on neoliberalism, has adverse consequences for democracy, morality, and peace, as well as inequality, poverty, and homelessness. Written in a simple but powerful language, this book is a must read for those interested in international relations and anyone interested in current affairs.
Author(s): Imad A. Moosa
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 307
City: Cham
Preface
Contents
Abbreviations and Acronyms
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 The Ambiguous West
1.1 An Overview
1.2 Dictionary Definition and Historical Origin
1.3 The West as a Geographical and Cultural Entity
1.4 The West as a Political-Military Entity
1.5 The West as an Economic Entity
1.6 The Huntington Classification Scheme
1.7 The Core West and Auxiliary West
1.8 Concluding Remarks
References
2 Western Exceptionalism as an Ideology
2.1 American Exceptionalism
2.2 From American Exceptionalism to Western Exceptionalism
2.3 Exceptionalism as a Conduit to Racism
2.4 Western Exceptionalism in the Popular Culture
2.5 Western Culture, Civilization, and Values
2.6 Concluding Remarks
References
3 Western Exceptionalism: Democracy
3.1 The West’s Attitude Towards Democracy in the Rest
3.2 Western Democracy
3.3 American Democracy
3.4 British Democracy
3.5 Democracy and the Deep State
3.6 Concluding Remarks
References
4 Western Exceptionalism: The Rule of Law, Judicial Independence and Transparency
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Rule of Law
4.3 The International Rule of Law
4.4 Judicial Independence
4.5 Transparency and Corruption
4.6 Concluding Remarks
References
5 Western Exceptionalism: Human Rights
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Right to Life
5.3 The Right to Freedom from Torture and Inhumane Treatment
5.4 The Right to Equal Treatment Before the Law
5.5 The Right to Privacy
5.6 The Right to Marry and Have a Family
5.7 The Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression
5.8 The Right to Work
5.9 The Right to Education
5.10 The Right to Housing
5.11 The Right to Healthcare
5.12 Concluding Remarks
References
6 Western Exceptionalism: Contribution to Science and Technology
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Debate on the Superiority of the West in Science and Technology
6.3 More on the Contribution of the Rest
6.4 Contributions to Mathematics
6.5 The Past, Present, and Future
6.6 Concluding Remarks
References
7 Western Supremacy: The Views of Huntington, Fukuyama and Ferguson
7.1 The Huntington Thesis
7.2 The Fukuyama Thesis
7.3 The Ferguson Thesis: the British Empire
7.4 The Ferguson Thesis on Western “Killer Apps”
7.5 Concluding Remarks
References
8 The Western Economic System
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Neoliberalism and Laissez Faire
8.3 The Free-Market Doctrine
8.4 Economic Freedom
8.5 Privatization and Deregulation
8.6 Financialization and Deindustrialization
8.7 Implications and Ramifications
8.8 Concluding Remarks
References
9 Further Thoughts on Western Exceptionalism
9.1 Recapitulation: The West as a Uniform Entity
9.2 Exceptionalism of the West and Exceptionalism of the Rest
9.3 Western Exceptionalism as a Source of Privileges
9.4 The Rise of the Rest
9.5 Closing Remarks: Is the West Exceptional?
References
Index
