Rebrov S.A. Occidentalism as a Tool for Constructing the Identity of a Civilisation-State. Conflictology. 2025. Vol. 20. No. 3. Pp. 154-168.

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: https://conflictology.ru/index.php/conflict/article/view/15326 (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 03.01.2026)

Abstract

The issue of Occidentalism, which a number of scholars define as the construction and reception of discourse about the West in non-Western societies, is growing increasingly relevant in the context of the current crisis of globalization. Beyond its established complications for civilizational identity, the concept of the «West» often intersects with the foreign policies of states that seek to independently determine their development trajectories. This article presents the results of a comprehensive study tracing the genealogy of the concept of the «West» in social philosophy. It explores various approaches to defining civilization and its relation to contemporary state policy. The longstanding problem of a biased view of foreign cultures and civilizational identity, shaped by the presuppositions of one’s own culture, is also addressed. A comparison is drawn between Occidentalism and Orientalism as analogous sets of cultural presuppositions. The study demonstrates that, despite its superficial appeal as a model for building a civilizational-state’s identity, Occidentalism remains dependent on the object of its criticism. Given that Occidentalism is itself a Western phenomenon, it entails a problem of «negative identity»: in the absence of an image of the «Other», the norms and values of a given civilization risk being diminished. A more robust approach, therefore, is the deconstruction of the «West» itself, which posits that it is methodologically flawed to question its «real» or «imaginary» existence. It is more productive scientifically to analyze the West as a discursive position that is realized in specific political and cultural practices. As an alternative to Occidentalism for appreciating the achievements of different civilizations, the author advocates for the concept of «multiple modernities». In this framework, the key referent is not the West as a distinct cultural entity, but the values of modernity—such as secularization, the nation-state, and so on. Within this approach, modernization generates a plurality of unique developmental paths for diverse cultures worldwide.  The issue of Occidentalism, which a number of scholars define as the construction and reception of discourse about the West in non-Western societies, is growing increasingly relevant in the context of the current crisis of globalization. Beyond its established complications for civilizational identity, the concept of the «West» often intersects with the foreign policies of states that seek to independently determine their development trajectories. This article presents the results of a comprehensive study tracing the genealogy of the concept of the «West» in social philosophy. It explores various approaches to defining civilization and its relation to contemporary state policy. The longstanding problem of a biased view of foreign cultures and civilizational identity, shaped by the presuppositions of one’s own culture, is also addressed. A comparison is drawn between Occidentalism and Orientalism as analogous sets of cultural presuppositions. The study demonstrates that, despite its superficial appeal as a model for building a civilizational-state’s identity, Occidentalism remains dependent on the object of its criticism. Given that Occidentalism is itself a Western phenomenon, it entails a problem of «negative identity»: in the absence of an image of the «Other», the norms and values of a given civilization risk being diminished. A more robust approach,therefore, is the deconstruction of the «West» itself, which posits that it is methodologically flawed to question its «real» or «imaginary» existence. It is more productive scientifically to analyze the West as a discursive position that is realized in specific political and cultural practices. As an alternative to Occidentalism for appreciating the achievements of different civilizations, the author advocates for the concept of «multiple modernities». In this framework, the key referent is not the West as a distinct cultural entity, but the values of modernity—such as secularization, the nation-state, and so on. Within this approach, modernization generates a plurality of unique developmental paths for diverse cultures worldwide.