Արևմուտքը՝ մեր ազգային ողբերգության համատեքստում / West in The Context of our National Tragedy

Abstract

The Armenian people are deeply rooted in the Armenian Highlands and the East. They are characterized by their traditionalism, love for nature, and emotional disposition. Their culture is one of the heart, marked by empathy for others, sharing their joys, and feeling their sorrows. The man of the East does not claim to be recognized by the world or by others. That is why the genius Tumanyan, whose native element was the East, noted that we know neither ourselves, nor our neighbors... The West perceives the world exclusively with the reason. The main thing here is not the person, but the technique. Everything here is calculated based on profit. Here people do not live with other's problems. Western civilization follows a different spiritual path that relies on reason, professes different moral, ethical and cultural values that derives from rational egoism. Each of these is valuable in its own way. However, the concept of "barbarian East and civilized West", created by Herodotus and Aristotle, was further elaborated by Sh. Montesquieu's "On the Spirit of Laws" and the works of A. de Tocqueville, eventually shaping public perception. Following the invasions of Alexander and, especially, the adoption of Christianity as a national identity, our focus shifted westward, towards Europe. We, who once fought together with the East against the West, became carriers and promoters of Western values in the East. The East began to percieve us as outsiders. The West never considered us allies and did not advocate for us despite our role in spreading the Western culture and values in the East. Through numerous examples, the author attempts to justify that our loss of statehood, all our big and small tragedies stemmed from our wrong and unjustified orientation towards the West. We often overlooked the fact that the West has its own geopolitical interests, with no inclination to support the existence of a sovereign Armenia, let alone a powerful state. Unfortunately, with the same persistence, we repeat the same mistake today seeking support from the West instead of our natural allies.