+ i mn ie PUP ae eels aime slg ell ae os eee Ean THOUGHT ENA §5 cae a me STR ce —— pe —— Yurugu An African-centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior by Marimba Ani (Dona Richards)1uPUL UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES ‘755 W. MICHIGAN ST. INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46202-5195 ‘Aftlca World Press P.O, Box 1892 ‘Trenton, NI 08607 Copyright © Marimba Ant, 1994 First Printing 1994 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, ‘mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise wthout the prior written permission of the publiser. ext Design by Jonathan Gullery Cover Concept and Design by Aziza Gibsoo-#Hunter Cover Artwork by Amurd Ofiaa Interlor Mask Drawings by Smlth-Chinyelu Library of Congress Catalogingin Publication Data Ani, Marimba ‘Yurugu : an afriean-centered eritique of European cultural thought and behavior / Marimba Ani p. om. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0.86543-248-1. — ISBN 0.86543-249.X (pbk) 1, Europe-Civillzation, 2, Ethnocentrism-Europe. I, Tile. cp203.R5 1992 940',01-de20 71027 cp TABLE OF CONTENTS Author's Note .ascsnecnnsnne f xi Dedication i sana Introduction — John Henrik Clarke “1 Incantation xe Acknowledgements ant Glossary xv Charts A. The Process ofthe European Utomawaz0 saxty B. European Utamauazo: Mind Control for World Domination (Chapter D) ee C. Christianity as a Core Mechanism ofthe European Aili (Chapter 2) rape aH D. European Aesthetic and European Dominance (Chapter 3). en E, European Cultural Ego and World Domination (Chapters 445) nn ooeutl F. European Behavior and Ethies tn Racial and Cultural Domination (Chapters 6-8) ceexlo G._ The Ideology of European World Domination (Chapters 3-10) exw HL Tie Tangle of European Cultural Pathology Creates the System of European World Domination (Conclusion)... 200 Introduction Botekajat si Thesis and Proce 3 Evidence 3 Concepts and Terms 10 Perspectives and Objectives 24PART | - THOUGHT AND ICONOGRAPHY Chapter | - Utamawazo: The Cultural Structuring of Thought Archaic European Epistemology: Substitution of Object for Symbol Dichotomization and the Notion of Harmony Reification of the Object: Devaluation of the Senses Theory of Humanness ‘The New Dominant Mode Lingality and Cause: Scientism and “Logie” Supremacy of the Absolute, the Abstract, and the Analytical Desacralization of Nature: Despiritualization of the Human Alternative Models, ‘The Character of the European Utamawnazo Chapter 2 - Religion and Ideology A Point of Departure The Platonic Influence The Judaic Heritage, The Monotheistic Ideal: Incipient European Cultural Chawvinism The JudeoCheistian Schism ‘The Roman Cooptation: Two imperialistic Ideologies . je Threat of Non-Orthodox Christianity Augustine and Political Conservatism Proselytization and Imperialism: "Saving’” and “Ruling” Christianity, Colonialism, and Cultural Imperialism: “Heathen,” Native,” and “Primitive” Christianity and European Paganism archy in the Development of European Religion Religion and Rationality Syndrome The Techno-Social Order The Record Versus the 109 1 nt 120 124 129 137 143 149 153 162 a7 178 183 191 194 Chapter 3 - Aesthetic: The Power of Symbols ‘The Meaning of “Aesthetic” 199 ‘The Tyranny of Rationalism 202 ‘An Aesthetic of Control 210 White," “Good,” and “Beautiful” . fanart nneccarec al ‘The Myth of a Universal Aesthetic... 222 ‘The Connecting Thread: Aesthetic, Utamavazo, and Utamaraho ... 226 PART II - IMAGE AND NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS Chapter 4 - Self-Image Seitimage and Utararoho riod eaatenioesteaargeet Rational Man” : ae The European as Nale™ ae ‘Selentife Man” a ; 244 ‘The Problem ofthe “ad Scents 285 “Civlzed Man” a8 “The Conor Ein nth aap roo 28 “Word savior" reese aBt Race and National identity. samranareranaraneees Media and Seltimage ; 285 The European Sef image late Literature of White Nationalism om Chapter 5 - Image of Others The Complement ofthe European Seltimage venom Why tne “other” Is Black (Non white) bm Slavery. tsAtermath, and the Image of thers 231 Media andthe mage of Others sess a4 Exigencis ofthe European Utrmarcho 236 The European Response to the -NowEuropeanUmaroho wooo 301 fiagee and Velie Debalboay ccrsemcerrreetoner 306PART Ill - BEHAVIOR AND ETHICS Chapter 6 - Rhetoric and Behavior What's ina ie... Hypocrisy as a Way Of Lie sense The Rhetoricl Function ofthe “Christian Ethic" ‘The Rhetorical Ethie in Operation “Ethical Theory" and the Rhetorical Ethic .. 1 ‘The Ethnological Significance of the Rhetorical Ethic... ” Chapter 7 - Intracultural Behavior The Question of Norms idividualty,” "Freedom," and "Self" ‘The “Protestant Ethic” and European Behavior he Cultural Role of the Early Church Relormation: the New Role of the Church Protestantism and the Furopean Ego 7: ; ‘Themes in Interpersonal Interaction: Survival, Competition, Control Epistemology and Behavior European “Self” and the Problem of Love Intracultural Versus Intercultural Chapter 8 - Behavior Towards Others Asili as Matrix The Concept of the “Cultural Other” European Versus "Non-European” ‘The "Cultural Other” and European “Law* Political Violence: Seek and Destroy Cultural Violence: Destroying the Wil Genocidal Behavior: “Wipe Them Out” ‘ ‘Theories of Euro-Caucasian Behavior: The Question of Cause European Ideology and the Concept of the Cultural Other TWamawazo and imperialism Conchusfon: The Logle of Supremacy and Destruction 3 312 317 132 328 331 337 BBL 387 373 389 393 PART IV - IDEOLOGY Chapter 9 - Progress as Ideology Whose “Progress?” .. 489 ‘The Anatomy of "Progress ese 490 ‘The Inevitability of “Progress” stato 95 ‘The Critique of European “Progress” 497 Utamawaz0, Ltamaroho, and “Progress” eetomen eee ‘An Ideology of Imperialism ay 507 Chapter 10 - Universalism: The Syntax of Cultural Imperialism ‘The Tradition ; sn The “Myth of Objectivity” and the Uses of Scientia Ss Claude Henrie Sant Simon caecumseaeeaa ea Soh Stuart Mil sara Ra Erle Durkheim iene ‘The Potial Function of “Objectivity™ : 24 Implications of furopean Internationals eae) ‘The Cal fora “World culture” 335 Concrete Human Behavior Versus Abstract European “ismanism® 541 Universalism and the European Asti aan CONCLUSION Yurugu: The Incomplete Being What It All Means. The Workings of Yurugu. sa atarttcberneetia ii Utamaroho in Disequilibrium... pani 560 Power as Logos See ae 563 Imposing the Cuttural Selt on 87 The Forms of Expression of European Cultural Nationalism. 568 Towards a Vision of the Human Spit... evnneen59 Notes sm Bibliography 603Author's Note According to the Dogon people of Mali, in West Africa, Amma, the Creator, ordained that all created beings should be living mant- festations of the fundamental universal principle of complementarity or “twinness.” This principle manifests itself as the wholeness which is created when female and male pairs join in all things. Such pairing establishes equilibrium, cooperation, balance, and harmony. Amma therefore equipped each being with twin souls - both female and male -at birth. But in one of these primordial placentas the male soul did not wait for the full gestation period to be born. This male being was known as Yurugu (Ogo), who arrogantly wished to compete with ‘Amma and to create a world better than that which Amma had cre- ated. With his fragmented placenta he created Earth; but it could “only be imperfect, since he was incomplete, that is, born prematurely, without his female twin-soul, Realizing that he was flawed and there- fore deficient, Yurugu returned to Amma, seeking his complemen- tary female self, But Amma had given his female soul away. Yurugu, forever incomplete, was doomed to perpetually search for the com- pleteness that could never be his. The Earth, he had defiled in the act of self-creation, was now Inhabited by single-souled, impure and incomplete beings like himself. Yurugu’s descendants, all eternally deficient, originated in an incestuous act, since he had procreated with his own placenta, the representation of his mother.