The West and the East as Geographic and Mental Constructions

Authors:

Pages: 527-532

Abstract:

The antinomy East–West, determined with the appearance of human civilization, because of its natural symbolism (the two geographic dimensions are used to determine the daily “birth” and “dying” of the Sun), generated perpetual scholarly interest provoked by its ambivalent nature. As a result, the studied dichotomy established itself as a preferred model for structuring the world. The fact that this division and explanation is based on cultural instead of geographical principle does not underestimate its geographic projection. Moreover, despite its dualistic nature, the concept should not be perceived as a marker of two homogenous and mainly opposite spaces. One cannot exclude their complicated inner structure determined by the perpetual historic dialogue between the East and the West and the firmly established mental constructions of (self)identification “We–the Others”. The investigation of these problems can be used as a starting point for understanding of the contemporary space relations between the East and the West.

Keywords:

the West, the East, geographic and mental constructions

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