 Said's academic friends and foes acknowledged the transformative influence of Orientalism upon scholarship in the humanities; critics argued that the thesis is an intellectually limiting influence upon scholars, whilst supporters said the thesis is intellectually liberating. The fields of post-colonial and cultural studies attempt to explain the "post-colonial world, its peoples, and their discontents"; for this, the investigational validity and analytical efficacy of the propositions in Orientalism continue to resonate, especially in the field of Middle Eastern studies.
