Ben Waber reviewed Unfabling the East by Jürgen Osterhammel
A Masterful, Rich Examination of the Interactions between Enlightenment Era Europe and Asia
5 stars
Osterhammel has penned a masterful work of scholarship, detailing how European thought was profoundly challenged by deeper interactions across Asia as transportation technology improved, spurring the Enlightenment and social science itself. The book chronicles not only how European ideas of "Asia" changed over time, but also engages in historiography around how European thinkers conceptualized themselves and the different civilizations they encountered. Osterhammel continually emphasizes just how new the notion of "travel" was, and how this necessitated new social and business norms.
What was perhaps most surprising to me is how throughout this period Europeans viewed most of the civilizations they encountered nearly as equals. Europeans considering the Dutch sailors they encountered in different ports as less "civilized" than the locals is illustrative here. While it's possible to read these encounters, and the Enlightenment itself, as a prelude to imperialism, this history adds significant nuance to that direct throughline. Highly recommend
