Re: Ethnic Hegemony and World-System

I don't see much point in denying Europe the enlightenment.  True, other 
cultures may have pointed in similar directions--but it was clearly under 
conditions of European hegemony and out of Europe that the enlightenment values 
in the last 200 years spread. Most dramatically, in the last fifty years they 
(rationality equals science equals progress equals freedom) were embraced by 
the leaders of the post-colonial world, not because of parallels with the 
confucian heritage, but because it appeared to be the royal road to 'catching 
up' with the core countries of Europe and North America. Nevertheless, it does 
need to be noted that this techno-political project failed.  As Wallerstein 
would say, the radical versions of it got sucked into the liberal versions, and 
they were all recognized as bankrupt in '68.  The rethinking of this project, 
addressing such questions as whether rationality means anything if divorced 
from mathematical logic, what are the conditions for interacting wit!
h cultures that were surpressed 
and not invited into the debate when 'universal' values were developed, what 
'individual rights' mean in a world in which those whose rights are recognized 
live at the expense of everyone else, whether a singular project is even a good 
idea...this is palpably a debate taking place beyond the confines of the Euro 
ethno hegemonic group. I'm not really sure what of the Enlightenment, even in 
terms of its political ideals (liberty, equality, freedom from the realm of 
necessity, etc) is going to survive the next century.  Out of the debate 
currently going on, a different set of values, not secured by a concept 
resembling 'progress' may come to be seen as epitomizing the good life.

Steven Sherman