Said’s Orientalism turned discourse representation itself into a form of power

Evidence

As I will show in due course, Said’s work, in isolating Orientalism for special analysis, had the effect of reifying a category of modern discourse that masked deeper structures of what might be called non-Orientalist Orientalism. — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 523 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Said’s Orientalism replaced Marxism with Foucauldian Discourse Theory — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 723; Said’s passive-voice framing makes Orientalism a mere object of external forces; Said’s Orientalism shaped a field mainly through emotive impact — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 11 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Said’s critique reified Orientalism as a category masking deeper structures #complicates (0.80) — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 523
• Said’s critique of Orientalism implicitly reinforced the very modernism it attacked #complicates (0.78)