Open access
ECONOMIC-BASED DYCHOTOMY BETWEEN THE WEST AND THE EAST AS AN ELEMENT OF POSITIONING ON THE WORLD MAP
Janusz Golinowski1
GLOBAL TRANSFORMATIONS – IDEAS, POLICIES
Publication language: Polish
Journal article
Transformations No. 1–2 (88–89) 2016, Publication date: 17 May 2016
Keywords: dichotomy, crisis, economic-based, universal civilisation, promoting western values
Abstract During the past few decades, among various intellectuals, there was a dominant opinion that universal civilisation is being created and its rules are the foundations of western civilization. Liberal democracy, pluralism, individualism or human rights were supposed to be universally desired and acclaimed values. Even the idea of universal civilisation was to serve as a legitimizing tool for promoting western values around the world. However, applied methods were often contradictory to proclaimed values. Economics, dressed up in a neoliberal costume, became a quasi-religious doctrine, the pantheon of four goddesses: the free market, privatisation, world finance and transnational corporations. Economic development is a foundation of the imperial position – there is no doubt that Eastern countries are using the economic development as a tool for creating its own superiority. They are not enchanted by the western model but they imitate it in order to succeed. That makes their politics even more interesting, as it is aware of the mimetic mechanisms and is able to master them.
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy, Wydział Humanistyczny
E-mail: janusz.golinowski@gmail.com