The Rise of Eurocentrism: Anatomy of Interpretation

486 Pages·1992·1.8 MB·English

by  Vassilis Lambropoulos

The Rise of Eurocentrism
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The Rise of
Eurocentrism
ANATOMY OF INTERPRETATION
Vassilis Lambropoulos
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
Copyright1993byPrincetonUniversityPress
PublishedbyPrincetonUniversityPress,41WilliamStreet,
Princeton,NewJersey08540
IntheUnitedKingdom:PrincetonUniversityPress,Oxford
AllRightsReserved
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Lambropoulos,Vassilis,1953–
Theriseofeurocentrism:anatomyof
interpretation/VassilisLambropoulos.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-691-06949-2
1.Literature—Historyandcriticism—Theory,etc.
2.Canon(Literature) 3.Europeanliterature—History
andcriticism. 4.Europe—Civilization. I.Title.
PN441.L36 1992 809′.894—dc20 92-3690
ThisbookhasbeencomposedinBitstreamElectra
PrincetonUniversityPressbooksareprintedonacid-freepaper,
andmeettheguidelinesforpermanenceanddurabilityofthe
CommitteeonProductionGuidelinesforBookLongevityofthe
CouncilonLibraryResources
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
To Gregory
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Preface: TheRuleofAutonomy xi
CHAPTER ONE
TheRitesofInterpretation 3
TheLawofInterpretation 3
Hebraism and Hellenism 24
TheExercise ofReason 41
AestheticFaith 55
TheThreat ofPaganism 78
CHAPTER TWO
TheCultureofAtonement 97
TheDialectic ofCapitalism 97
TheCovenant ofEmancipation 115
TheScience ofMyth 162
TheSinofAssimilation 190
CHAPTER THREE
WritingtheLaw 215
TheSpiritand theLetter 215
History and Exile 239
TheFutureofTradition 277
TheArtofRuling 311
EpilegomenatoModernity 327
Notes 333
Bibliography 413
Index 459
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I HAVE BENEFITED from the collegial atmosphere of the Department of
Judaic and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures of the Ohio State
University,where I havebeen working,firstasanassistantandthenasan
associateprofessorofModernGreek.TheChairman,FredericCadora,As-
sociate Dean Marvin Zahniser, andDean MichealRiley ofthe College of
Humanities assisted my research with grants and many helpful adminis-
trativearrangements.DimitrisMytarasgenerouslygavemepermission to
use his painting on the cover. Eric Schramm copy-edited the manuscript
with great care and sensitivity. Also, I was fortunate once again to work
withaneditorofRobertBrown’s initiativeandintegrity.
I should like to thank my parents and my in-laws for their unwavering
confidence,trust,andsupport.Iamequallygratefultomyextendedfam-
ily, Andreas and Maria Mylonas, and Yannis and Katerina Varvarigos. I
am grateful to Julian Anderson for her reassuring faith. I thank my re-
search associates Panayiotis Bosnakis, Kostas Demelis, Evangelos Gegas,
and Kui Qiu for their diligence and dedication to scholarship. I appreci-
ate the generosity andencouragementof Margaret Alexiou,VictoriaHol-
brook, Mary Layoun, and Amy Shuman,who gaveme theopportunity to
present my ideas in seminars, talks, and conferences they organized.
Stathis Gourgouris, Eugene Holland, Eleni Vakalo, and Nanos Valaoritis
helpedwithinsightfulsuggestionsonparticularsections.GregoryNagyil-
luminated crucial issues as he responded to the first draft. Nancy Arm-
strongandLeonardTennenhousehaveconsistentlyprovidedvaluablepo-
litical lessons. Peter Bien, John Chioles, and Michael Herzfeld read the
entire manuscript and guided me with perspicacity and wisdom through
many difficult passages. Daphne created and enjoyed all the appropriate
emergencies. Without Artemis, I wouldn’t have done it and it wouldn’t
beworthit.