Submission to The Social Lens: A Social Work Action Blog by Fareed Mojab, PhD Student
I argue that few intellectual falsehoods have been as egregious as the deliberate fabrication of the notion of “Western knowledge” or “Western civilization,” particularly since the epoch of the Enlightenment. Several scholars and intellectuals have challenged the idea of “Western knowledge” or “Western civilization” as a constructed myth. For instance, Edward Said’s seminal work Orientalism (1978) critiques the West’s portrayal of non-Western societies as primitive and uncivilized. Similarly, Gayatri Spivak’s essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” (1988) highlights the marginalization of non-Western voices in Western discourse. Other scholars, such as Walter Mignolo, Anibal Quijano, and Ramón Grosfoguel, have developed theories of decoloniality that question the universality of Western epistemologies and suggest alternative ways of knowing and being.
Indeed, while scholars like Edward Said and Gayatri Spivak have challenged the ways in which non-Western societies are represented in Western discourse, they have not explicitly questioned the accuracy of the concept and notion of “Western knowledge” from a historical perspective. However, I think there is serious scholarship that also challenges the notion that science began with the West, arguing that this is a historical fabrication perpetuated by European historians and intellectuals. For instance, in his book The Myth of the Framework: In Defense of Science and Rationality, philosopher Karl Popper argues that the idea of a linear progression of scientific knowledge from the Greeks to the modern West is a myth. Similarly, historian of science David C. Lindberg has shown that scientific knowledge was not solely the product of Europe, but rather a result of cross-cultural exchanges and interactions.
The concepts of “Western knowledge” and “Western civilization” have dominated the academic discourse for decades, and social work as a discipline has not been immune to its influence. However, in recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need for decolonization in academia, but this often had a reductionist approach, excluding the necessity of having a broader critique of the colonial narrative that has perpetuated the colonial mentality in the past five centuries: a colonial narrative born out of a false and illusory notion: “Western knowledge.” In this context, it is imperative for social work to become actively engaged in the academic debates, dropping the alienating concept of Western knowledge and civilization in order to promote a more historically accurate, inclusive, diverse and culturally sensitive approach to research and practice.
Dropping the concepts of Western knowledge and civilization as presumed factual vocabularies is crucial for social work and other helping professions, including psychology and psychiatry, to become more culturally responsive and anti-oppressive professions. This shift in perspective does not negate the current pluralistic and inclusive approach that values diverse ways of knowing and being. This shift is a broader response from a decolonization’s perspective, which includes recognizing the ways in which colonialism and imperialism have shaped a false narrative with a false consciousness.
As Kwame Appiah notes in his book Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, “Knowledge has never been the property of one civilization or community; rather, it has been the result of cross-cultural exchange and mutual influence” (Appiah, 2006).
The idea of Western knowledge is illusory because it is based on the false assumption that the West has a monopoly on knowledge production and dissemination. This assumption has been perpetuated by a Eurocentric view of history, which has sought to portray Western civilization as the pinnacle of human achievement, while downplaying the contributions of other cultures’ communities across the globe.
However, a closer examination of history reveals that knowledge has always been produced and transmitted through the interactions between different cultures and civilizations. For example, the ancient Greeks drew heavily on the knowledge and wisdom of the Egyptians and Babylonians, while Islamic scholars preserved and expanded on the scientific and philosophical traditions of the Greeks and Romans. Similarly, the Renaissance in Europe was made possible by the transmission of knowledge from the Islamic world, which had preserved and translated the works of ancient Greek philosophers and scientists. Take the Greeks as an example. The idea of Greece as part of ‘Western civilization’ is a relatively recent development that emerged during the Enlightenment era, when European scholars sought to construct a narrative of European superiority based on the achievements of ancient Greece and Rome. This narrative was then used to justify European colonialism and imperialism, which were based on the false assumption that the Europe had a monopoly on civilization and culture.
The concept of Western knowledge is really problematic as it erases the contributions of non-European cultures and perpetuates a hierarchical view of knowledge that places the fabricated “Western knowledge” above all others. This view is not only inaccurate but also contributes to the marginalization and erasure of diverse perspectives, which is antithetical to the principles of social work. I think if we are really serious in our intention for decolonization of academia, we should begin the daunting task with dismantling the very language of the discourse itself that has shaped our academic research and practice minds, profoundly shaped by the illusory concept of “Western knowledge.”
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