Latour Litany of the day

This one comes from Edward Said, early in Orientalism (page 4 to be exact). I’m now rereading the book for the first time since Chicago, being in the process of writing an article about whether OOO is a doctrine of orientally mysterious objects with a timeless essence and otherness. (Answer: no.)

“…the whole of India and the Levant, the Biblical texts and the Biblical lands, the spice trade, colonial armies and a long tradition of colonial administrators, a formidable scholarly corpus, innumerable Oriental ‘experts’ and ‘hands,’ an Oriental professoriate, a complex array of ‘Oriental’ ideas (Oriental despotism, Oriental splendor, cruelty, sensuality), many Eastern sects, philosophies, and wisdoms domesticated for local European use– the list can be extended more or less indefinitely.”

Taking up the invitation of Said’s final phrase above, perhaps Ian could work on an “Oriental edition” of the Latour Litanizer. (Just kidding, Ian.)

Anyway, nice litany by Said.