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But---and I just can't help myself---the opening sentence is just plain silly when you think about it: "The Orient is an antiquated term traditionally used in Western culture to refer to the Southwest Asia (Middle East), South Asia and East Asia."  The Orient is not a term used in "Western culture".  The Orient is an '''English''' word. Of course the term wasn't used in the Orient ... they didn't even know England existed!  The term is not antiquated because there is no term which effectively replaced the term.  When one needs to refer to all of that part of Asia which is not Russia, not India, not the Middle East, then there is no better alternative than the Orient. [[User:Everwill|Everwill]] 15:33, 5 April 2007 (EDT)

But---and I just can't help myself---the opening sentence is just plain silly when you think about it: "The Orient is an antiquated term traditionally used in Western culture to refer to the Southwest Asia (Middle East), South Asia and East Asia."  The Orient is not a term used in "Western culture".  The Orient is an '''English''' word. Of course the term wasn't used in the Orient ... they didn't even know England existed!  The term is not antiquated because there is no term which effectively replaced the term.  When one needs to refer to all of that part of Asia which is not Russia, not India, not the Middle East, then there is no better alternative than the Orient. [[User:Everwill|Everwill]] 15:33, 5 April 2007 (EDT)

 

:As I recall, I tried to define Orientalism at Wikipedia as the view (presented by the famous author of ''Orientalism'') that Westerners '''cannot understand''' the Orient. In this context, "Orient" includes the Islamic culture of the Middle East.  

:As I recall, I tried to define Orientalism at Wikipedia as the view (presented by the famous author of ''Orientalism'') that Westerners '''cannot understand''' the Orient. In this context, "Orient" includes the Islamic culture of the Middle East.  

:This idea was part of a "you couldn't possible understand" movement which resisted any scholarly or punditish commentary on non-WASP doings. It was used to justify [[Afrocentrism]] and to attack "Western logic"; to justify "invented mathematics" and "ethnic math"; etc. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 15:34, 5 April 2007 (EDT)

:This idea was part of a "you couldn't possible understand" movement which resisted any scholarly or punditish commentary on non-WASP doings. It was used to justify [[Afrocentrism]] and to attack "Western logic"; to justify "invented mathematics" and "ethnic math"; etc. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 15:34, 5 April 2007 (EDT)