How culture reflects hierarchy and colonial power

Philosophy of culture is a branch of philosophy that examines the essence and meaning of culture, focusing on how human creativity, rationality, and collective experiences shape cultural identities.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 1 hr 23 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   philosophy of culture · Wikipedia · 5 min read

   Culture referred to an élite ideal associated with art, classical music, and haute cuisine, and "culture" was identified with "civilization." This distinction reflected inequalities within European societies and, some critics have argued, conflict between European colonial powers and their colonial subjects. Herder proposed a collective form of Bildung: "For Herder, Bildung was the totality of experiences that provide a coherent identity, and sense of common destiny, to a people." During the Romantic era, scholars in Germany, especially those concerned with nationalist movements, developed a more inclusive notion of culture as "worldview" (Weltanschauung).

2. Read
   

   Mario Vargas Llosa: How Global Entertainment Killed Culture · Literary Hub · 23 min read

   T. S. Eliot argues that "higher culture" must remain a minority culture, and that the elite sustaining it is drawn from social classes without being identical to the privileged group or aristocracy. In Eliot's account of culture, each class produces a culture suited to its economic conditions.

3. Watch
   

   Western Culture - Kwame Anthony Appiah (2016) · YouTube · 55 min watch

   Kwame Anthony Appiah traces the history of the idea of Western culture and argues that it is mistaken, noting its diverse influences and rejecting exclusive ownership of culture.

4. Book
   

   Culture and Imperialism · Bookshop.org

   Culture and Imperialism by Edward Said argues that mainstream culture shaped colonialism and imperialism, while imperialism, resistance, and decolonization influenced the English and French novel. He describes how cultural narratives and preparations for empire connect culture with the rule of distant territories.

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