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Gilles Kepel closes his nostrils at academic Middle East specialists, and Michael Young farts in their general direction.
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|12.29.04 @ 4:25PM|#
"Lewisians" aren't much more a sizable and credible other half in middle-east studies, than Straussians are in political science/philosophy. They're a loud and highly political minority. And it is only with recent events that some of their bloated egos have allowed many to think otherwise.
The so-called immolation of middle-east studies is nothing of the sort. And Lewis' scholarship would doubtfully be more than an interesting footnote had it not served the valuable role of providing academic respectability to the pre-existing ideology behind Israelpolitik.
The practical conclusion of his philosophy is that the west can never show weakness to the Arabs because "in that part of the world, nothing matters more than resolute will and force." What a convenient justification for policies that Israeli hardliners and their US hawk allies were going to pursue anyway! Is it any surprise that Lewis' own son is a director of AIPAC?
Academic credibility depends largely on putting scholarship before ideology. If there any big debate in middle-eastern studies it is over what to do over the continued selling out of scholarship to politics that is largely a result of "Lewisians" rise to prominence in the later sphere.
|12.29.04 @ 5:19PM|#
I'm sure you can find plenty of non-Lewisian Middle Eastern scholars to blame for 'putting scholarship before ideology,' Pavel, if you're willing let 'ideology' mean 'ideology' instead of 'ideology I happen to disagree with.'
|12.29.04 @ 6:22PM|#
This battle, over the 'right' and 'wrong' approaches to teaching the region's politics, history and culture, has already caused considerable damage to academia and is now jeopardizing U.S. ability to decipher a complex area in which America is deeply engaged.
Or no one but Kepel and Young give a fart.
|12.30.04 @ 1:51AM|#
"Reeling from tsunamis of infighting"
good choice of words.
|12.30.04 @ 10:11AM|#
This battle, over the 'right' and 'wrong' approaches to teaching the region's politics, history and culture, has already caused considerable damage
Yes, nothing like the vigorous contest of ideas to cause damage in academic and intellectual spheres.