Abstract
For Ama Mazama "there is no general agreement as to what precisely Eurocentrism is", this term highly controversial has indeed several definitions which usually refer to the political opinions of their authors. According to a broad conception Eurocentrism can however be defined as following “the conscious or unconscious process by which Europe and European cultural assumptions are constructed as, or assumed to be the normal, the natural or the universal”. In its current interpretation –especially in Europe- Eurocentrism is usually considered as an ancient mistake of the Europeans towards the non-Europeans.
However various authors evoke the notions of multiculturalism, post-colonialism or the relation between a centre and its periphery to establish the persistence of Eurocentrism. From these different interpretations a debate has emerged trying to give “the right” definition of Eurocentrism. If this debate matters to understand the history and aspects of Eurocentrism, it might be a dangerous way to forget the deviance created by Eurocentrism. To consider all these aspects it seems relevant to wonder to what extent the reading of the world history through European dominant representations has led to dangerous distortions of reality?
Regarding this issue, it is appropriate to study the meaning of Eurocentrism from its creation to its Golden Age (I), then it appears that Eurocentrism has produced several derives (II). Finally, one can focus of the possibility that Eurocentrism constitutes a concept inherent to European consciousness and that can adopt new forms (III).
European consciousness and European philosophy, sociology, etc, started to emerge in a few known world, consequently the idea of Eurocentrism - even when the term did not exist - progressively emerged in a world where the lands outside Europe constituted more a place for imagination than a tangible reality. Then the discovery of new territories has been a tool to extend a European interpretation of the world considered as universal rather as a way to incorporate new cultural representations
