Useful Enemies: Islam And The Ottoman Empire In... 【FHD 2026】

Malcolm argues that the Ottomans were not just external threats to be feared, but in Western thought. Thinkers used Ottoman examples to:

The book examines how Western European thinkers used the Ottoman Empire and Islam as intellectual tools—or "useful enemies"—to debate their own political and religious systems during the early modern period. Core Argument Useful Enemies: Islam and the Ottoman Empire in...

by using Islam as a proxy to critique Christianity. Key Themes & Concepts 1. The Concept of Oriental Despotism Malcolm argues that the Ottomans were not just