Samir Amin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samir Amin
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Samir Amin talking about the Eurocrisis in 2012
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| Born | 3 September 1931 Cairo (Kingdom of Egypt)  |
| Died | 12 August 2018 (aged 86) 14th arrondissement of Paris (France) |
| Resting place | Père Lachaise Cemetery |
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Samir Amin (Arabic: سمير أمين) (born September 3, 1931 – died August 12, 2018) was an important economist and political thinker. He was from Egypt and France. He is known for his ideas about how the world economy works. He also introduced the term Eurocentrism in 1988. Many people see him as a leader in Dependency Theory.
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About Samir Amin
Samir Amin was born in Cairo, Egypt. His mother was French and his father was Egyptian. Both of his parents were doctors. He grew up in Port Said, Egypt, and went to a French high school there. He finished high school in 1947.
During World War II, when he was in high school, he became interested in politics. Students in Egypt were divided into different groups, and Amin joined the communists. He was strongly against fascism and Nazism. Even though Egypt was under British rule, he did not think Nazi Germany was a friend to Egyptians.
In 1947, Amin moved to Paris, France. He earned another high school diploma. He then studied political science at Sciences Po (graduating in 1952). Later, he studied statistics at INSEE (1956) and economics (1957).
In his book Itinéraire intellectuel (1990), he wrote that he spent a lot of time on "militant action." This meant he was very involved in political activities. He believed that thinking and political action should always go together. He wanted to help change the world, not just explain its problems.
After arriving in Paris, Amin joined the French Communist Party. However, he later disagreed with some of their ideas. He also became interested in Maoist ideas for a while. With other students, he started a magazine called Étudiants Anticolonialistes (Anti-Colonialist Students). His ideas were also shaped by the 1955 Asian–African Bandung Conference. This conference brought together many newly independent countries. The nationalization of the Suez Canal also influenced him greatly. He even delayed his PhD thesis to be part of the political changes happening then.
In 1957, he finished his PhD thesis. It was about how capitalism affects poorer countries. He argued that these countries are not just "underdeveloped" on their own. Instead, their situation is linked to the global capitalist system.
After his studies, Amin returned to Cairo in 1957. He worked for the government, helping to manage the economy. This was a very busy time in Egypt, with the Suez Canal crisis and the start of the Non-Aligned Movement. His involvement with the secret Communist Party made his work difficult.
In 1960, Amin moved back to Paris. He worked for a short time in economic and financial studies.
Later, from 1960 to 1963, Amin became an adviser to the Ministry of Planning in Bamako, Mali. He worked with other famous economists. He noticed that many people focused on making countries grow quickly. But he was a bit doubtful that this would truly help. After leaving Mali, he continued to advise governments in countries like China, Vietnam, Algeria, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
In 1963, he joined the Institut Africain de Développement Économique et de Planification (IDEP). At IDEP, he helped create new organizations. One of these became the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA).
Until 1970, he taught at universities in Poitiers, Dakar, and Paris. In 1970, he became the director of IDEP. He led it until 1980. After that, he became the director of the Third World Forum in Dakar. For Samir Amin, his work in economics, teaching, and political activism were always connected.
Many people consider Samir Amin one of the most important thinkers from the "Third World" (developing countries). His early ideas were very important. His 1957 thesis was later published as a book in 1970.
Samir Amin lived in Dakar until July 2018. He passed away on August 12, 2018, at the age of 86, in Paris.
Samir Amin's Ideas
Samir Amin is known for his ideas in Dependency Theory and World System Theory. He preferred to call his own ideas "Global Historical Materialism." His main idea, which he developed in 1957, was that poorer countries are not separate. Instead, they are part of a larger global capitalist economy.
In this world economy, the "poor" nations are the "periphery." This means they are forced to adjust to the needs of the "centers" of the world economy. The "centers" are the rich, industrial countries. Amin believed that poorer countries could not catch up to richer ones within the capitalist system. This is because the system naturally creates differences. He also pointed out that rich countries have certain monopolies (control over things).
Because of this, he suggested that countries in the "periphery" should "delink" from the world economy. This means they should focus on their own development first. He also criticized "Eurocentrism," which is the idea that Europe is the center of the world and its way of life is the best.
Global Historical Materialism
Samir Amin's ideas start with a strong criticism of capitalism. He believed that capitalism creates conflicts in the world. He pointed out three main problems with capitalist ideas:
- First, making profits often goes against workers' rights and democracy.
- Second, focusing on short-term money gains can harm the future, like the environment.
- Third, capitalism naturally creates unequal areas. He called these the "Center" and the "Periphery."
Amin believed that capitalism can only be understood as one global system. This system has "developed countries" (the Center) and "underdeveloped countries" (the Peripheries). He argued that development and underdevelopment are two sides of the same coin. Poorer countries are not "behind" because of their own culture or geography. Instead, their underdevelopment is a result of being forced to serve the needs of the richer "Center" countries.
Amin saw his ideas as part of "global historical materialism." This is a way of understanding Marxism as a global system. He believed that economic rules, like the "law of value," are important. But he also thought that history is shaped by how people react to these economic rules. He said: “History is not ruled by the infallible unfolding of the law of pure economy. It is created by the societal reactions to these tendencies that express themselves in these laws and that determine the social conditions in whose framework these laws operate. The ‘anti-systemic’ forces impact and also influence real history as does the pure logic of the capitalist accumulation.”
How the World Economy Works
Amin's idea of a "global law of value" explains how there is unequal exchange in the world. This means that the difference in wages between workers in different countries is much bigger than the difference in how much they produce. He called the extra profits that rich countries get "imperial rents."
He explained that companies can move to places where labor is cheapest. But governments often protect their own companies and limit how easily workers can move. This means that in poorer countries, wages stay low and economic growth is slow. In richer countries, wages go up with productivity. This situation continues because there are many unemployed people in poorer countries. Also, governments in these countries often stop social movements that try to get higher wages. Amin called this "development of underdevelopment." He believed that this difference in how workers are treated makes it hard for workers around the world to unite.
According to Amin, this "Global Law of Value" leads to "super-exploitation" of the poorer countries. Also, rich countries keep control over things like technology, money, military power, media, and natural resources.
Imperialism and Monopoly Capitalism
Amin believed that capitalism and imperialism (when powerful countries control weaker ones) have always been linked. He defined imperialism as: “precisely the amalgamation of the requirements and laws for the reproduction of capital; the social, national and international alliances that underlie them; and the political strategies employed by these alliances.”
He said that the differences between the Center and the Peripheries are a natural part of capitalism. He pointed out several ways this happens:
- Money often moves from poorer countries to richer ones.
- Skilled workers tend to move to richer countries.
- Companies in the Center have monopolies on technology and global finances.
- The Center countries control access to natural resources.
Amin said that the ways imperialism shows up have changed over time. But it always makes the differences between rich and poor countries worse.
He described three historical phases: Mercantilism (1500-1800), Expansion (1800-1880), and Monopoly Capitalism (1880-today). He said that today, the world is controlled by large, powerful companies (oligopolies). These are mostly found in the USA, Europe, and Japan. They work together to control the world using military, economic, and financial tools. Examples include NATO, the World Bank, and the IMF. These powerful countries have monopolies on:
- Weapons of mass destruction
- Mass communication systems
- Money and financial systems
- Technologies
- Access to natural resources
Amin believed they want to keep these controls at all costs. This is why they have increased military power around the world.
He also said that after 1971, monopoly capitalism changed into "oligopoly-finance capitalism." This new phase focused more on finance and global trade. He saw this as a way to deal with slow economic growth. He thought that fast economic growth (like from 1945–1975) was unusual. The focus on finance, which started in the late 1970s, was a new way to keep the system going. But he believed it led to the financial crisis of 2007-2008.
Amin also thought that because of imperialism and super-exploitation, political systems in poorer countries are often unfair. To keep control, powerful countries sometimes support old-fashioned social ideas. He argued that if democracy is brought to poorer countries without changing the basic social problems or challenging imperialism, it is not real democracy.
Delinking
Samir Amin strongly believed that poorer countries cannot truly become free if they follow the rules of the global capitalist system. He thought they could not catch up because the system naturally creates huge differences. This led him to support the idea of "delinking."
"Delinking" means that a country should put its own development needs first, even over global trade rules. It does not mean a country should be completely isolated. Instead, it means a country should decide its own economic path. For example, instead of free trade, a country might focus on food sovereignty (producing its own food). It might also set minimum wages based on its own needs, not just international competition.
The main goal of delinking would be to raise wages for workers, especially in farming. Amin suggested that governments should manage resources and distribute wealth. He believed that full employment should be guaranteed. He also thought that people should be encouraged to stay in rural areas, not just move to cities.
After countries gained political independence, delinking was meant to bring economic freedom from new forms of control. Amin said that it is very hard to delink 100%. He thought that even delinking by 70% would be a big success. Countries with more military power or stability might have an easier time doing this.
For example, Amin believed that China's development was 50% due to its own plans and 50% due to globalization. He thought Brazil and India were about 20% their own plans and 80% globalization. He said South Africa was 0% its own plan and 100% globalization.
Amin also knew that delinking needed certain political conditions inside a country. He saw that in many countries, the rich business class often benefited from being part of the global capitalist market. They were not interested in a national development plan. So, he hoped that social movements would push for these changes. This is why he worked with many non-governmental organizations.
Eurocentrism
Amin explained history by saying that the "West" (Europe and North America) had certain advantages by chance. These advantages led to capitalism developing there first. This then created a big divide in the world, as capitalism and colonialism spread aggressively. Amin argued that it is wrong to think of Europe as the historical center of the world. Europe only became dominant during the capitalist period.
For Amin, Eurocentrism is more than just a way of thinking. It is a global plan to make the world like Europe, pretending that other countries can "catch up." But in reality, capitalism does not make the world the same; it makes it more unequal. Eurocentrism is an ideal, but not a real possibility. It also makes problems like racism and imperialism worse. Amin believed that fascism is a constant danger because it is an extreme form of Eurocentrism.
Views on World Order
Samir Amin wanted to see a "multipolar world." This means a world where power is shared among many different countries, not just one. He believed this would mean defeating the United States' plan to control the world militarily.
He thought that Europe should stop focusing on its ties with the United States. Instead, Europe should work more closely with Russia, China, India, and other parts of Asia and Africa. He called this a "Eurasian rapprochement." He believed this cooperation was needed to challenge the United States.
Views on Political Islam
Samir Amin believed that political Islam focuses on "culture," meaning belonging to a religion. He thought that Islamist groups were not interested in deep religious discussions. Instead, they focused on showing their membership in a religious community.
He found this view troubling because it hides the real problems in society. It makes people think that the main conflict is between cultures, instead of between rich, powerful countries and poorer, weaker ones.
Amin argued that this focus on culture allows political Islam to hide the true division in society. This division is between working people and the global capitalist system that he believed exploited them.
He noted that political Islam groups often provide education and healthcare through schools and clinics in conflict areas. However, he saw these as acts of charity and ways to teach their ideas. He believed they were not truly helping the working class fight against the system that caused their poverty.
He also pointed out that political Islam often supports old-fashioned ideas, like how women are treated. He said it could also lead to extreme actions against non-Muslims. He believed that political Islam often supports the idea of private property and allows for inequality. This means it supports the basic rules of capitalism.
For example, he said that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt supported laws that helped property owners, even if it hurt small farmers.
Amin believed that political Islam often aligns with capitalism and imperialism. He thought it did not offer working people a real way to fight against their exploitation.
However, Amin was careful to say that his analysis of political Islam was not islamophobia. He was sensitive to negative attitudes towards Muslims in Western societies.
Awards
- The Ibn Rushd Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Samir Amin para niños
