This article by Bernard Lewis asks important questions about why Middle Eastern countries are often ambivalent about modernization. In the process, he reviews the key elements that create modernity, the theme of this course. Many of the elements of the modern world system he discusses will now be familiar. Others, such as the role of individualism, the separation of church and state, and women’s rights, we have not had time to discuss. By creating this overview and asking what is uniquely part of Western culture and what is beyond culture, Lewis provides a capstone to the last three modules. His erudite musings help us ask: What is modernity? How did it come about? And where is it going?
Read the information in the following article:
Lewis, B. (1997).
The West and the Middle East
.
Foreign Affairs. January/February.
Answer the following questions:
What parts of the modern world does Lewis assign an origin in Western culture?
What does Lewis mean by civil society?
What part of the modern world developed in Islamic regions?
What aspect of global modernity does Lewis believe has emerged from its identification with one or more cultures?
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Answer the questions clearly, using full sentences with correct grammar and spelling.
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Write one or two paragraphs on each question.
