Palabras clave
Despotismo, Orientalismo, Imperialismo, Viajeros siglo XVIII, Diversidad cultural.
Resumen
Durante el siglo XVIII el concepto de «despotismo oriental», heredado del pensamiento griego y del humanismo renacentista, se consolida a partir de la obra de Montesquieu. Esta visión de Oriente se utiliza como contraste y amenaza en la defensa de la libertad política europea. Sin embargo, el relato de los viajeros y las investigaciones de los primeros orientalistas critican ese concepto y proporcionan una imagen más positiva de las naciones asiáticas. La teoría del progreso sitúa el debate en una nueva perspectiva que va a fundamentar la política práctica en los inicios del imperialismo europeo.
Keywords
Despotism, Orientalism, Imperialism, Travellers 18th Century, Cultural diversity.
Abstract
The concept of «Oriental despotism,» inherited from the Greeks through Renaissance Humanism, became commonplace in the 18th century as propagated in Montesquieu’s writings. The Orient was used as a counterpoint to European political freedom, serving as a warning against lurking dangers threatening civil liberty during that time. However, with time, descriptions of the Orient from people who had actually visited it, as well as the research of the first Orientalists helped establish a more positive image of Asian nations. The theory of progress re-focussed the debate, laying the foundations for political praxis in the early stages of Europeanimperialism.