{"product_id":"sultans-court-european-fantasies-of-the-east-paperback","title":"Sultan's Court: European Fantasies of the East - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAlain Grosrichard\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eLiz Heron\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator), \u003cb\u003eMladen Dolar\u003c\/b\u003e (Introduction by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEdward Said's \u003ci\u003eOrientalism\u003c\/i\u003e has been much praised for its account of Western perceptions of the Orient. But the English-speaking world has for too long been unaware of another classic in the same field which appeared in France only a year later. Alain Grosrichard's \u003ci\u003eThe Sultan's Court\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating survey of Western accounts of \"Oriental despotism\" in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It focuses particularly on portrayals of the Ottoman Empire and the supposedly enigmatic structure of the despot's court--the seraglio--with its viziers, janissaries, mutes, dwarfs, eunuchs and countless wives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDrawing on the writings of travellers and philosophers such as Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire, Grosrichard goes further than merely cataloguing their intense fascination with the vortex of capriciousness, violence, cruelty, lust, sexual perversion and slavery which they perceived in the seraglio. Deftly and subtly using a Lacanian psychoanalytical framework, he describes the process as one in which these leading Enlightenment figures were constructing a fantastic Other to counterpose their project of a rationally based society. \u003ci\u003eThe Sultan's Court\u003c\/i\u003e seeks not to refute the misconceptions but rather explore the nature of the fantasy and what it can reveal about modern political thought and power relations more generally.\"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 258\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.87 x 8.47 x 5.35 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 07, 2010\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51797126545696,"sku":"9781859841228","price":28.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/18fb333fce2647e56d1b4156184dbcfd.webp?v=1780774117","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/sultans-court-european-fantasies-of-the-east-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}