Iran: Between Tradition and Modernity

by Ramin Jahanbegloo, Roksana Bahramitash, Sohrab Behdad, Jamsheed Behnam, Hamid Dabashi

Overview

The Iranian Revolution represented to intellectuals and professionals the potential of spiritual values to triumph over the great power of economic imperialism. Yet out of this revolution has emerged an identity crisis that touches Islamic ideological heights and reaches down to the very ground of Islamic practice. The contributors to this collection, experts on Iranian cultural and political history, analyze the 'fragmented self' of today's Iranian, refracted through that country's institutions, market forces, and modern thought. Each essay both deepens our understanding of contemporary Iran and adds to the broader discussion of the relationship between Islam and the West.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739105290
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	03/27/2004
Series:	Global Encounters: Studies in Comparative Political Theory
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.35(w) x 9.41(h) x 0.83(d)

About the Author

Ramin Jahanbegloo is head of the Department for Contemporary Thought at the Cultural Research Bureau, Iran, and assistant professor at Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations, London.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Thinking Modernity Chapter 2 Iranian Society, Modernity, and Globalization Chapter 3 Keywords in Islamic Critiques of Technoscience: Iranian Postrevolutionary Interpretations Chapter 4 The Relevance of John Locke to Social Change in the Muslim World: A Comparison with Iran Part 5 Theology and Modernity Chapter 6 Negotiating Modernity: Ulama and the Discourse of Modernity in Nineteenth-Century Iran Chapter 7 Mehdi Haeri Yazdi and the Discourse of Modernity Chapter 8 Utopia of Assassins: Navvab Safavi and the Fada'ian-e Eslam in the Prerevolutionary Iran Part 9 Intellectual Discourses of Modernity Chapter 10 Blindness and Insight: The Predicament of a Muslim Intellectual Chapter 11 The Varieties of Religious Reform: Public Intelligentsia in Iran Chapter 12 The Homeless Texts of Persianate Modernity Part 13 Modernization, Gender, and Political Culture Chapter 14 Women's Employment in Iran: Modernization and Islamization Chapter 15 "Islamist" Women Activists: Allies or Enemies? Chapter 16 Power and Purity: Iranian Political Culture, Communication, and Identity

Editorial Reviews

Iran: Between Tradition and Modernity is a superb collection of perceptive and provocative articles about some of the daunting challenges of Iran's turbulent encounter with modernity. Bringing together some of the most prominent scholars and intellectuals of contemporary Iran, Dr. Jahanbegloo's book is must reading for any serious student of modern Iran.

Mohsen M. Milani

This collection contains original, thought-provoking essays that will increase the understanding of many aspects of a complex and fascinating country for students, scholars, and the general public.

Nikki Keddie

Recommendeddddd

Choice Reviews

This collection contains original, thought-provoking essays that will increase the understanding of many aspects of a complex and fascinating country for students, scholars, and the general public.--Nikki Keddie, University of California--Los Angeles

Iran: Between Tradition and Modernity is a superb collection of perceptive and provocative articles about some of the daunting challenges of Iran's turbulent encounter with modernity. Bringing together some of the most prominent scholars and intellectuals of contemporary Iran, Dr. Jahanbegloo's book is must reading for any serious student of modern Iran.--Mohsen M. Milani, University of South Florida

The essays in this volume critically analyze the intellectual life of Iran, where the Islamic state's ideologically motivated policies have had paradoxical effects and unanticipated consequences in society, resulting in a cultural ferment in which old certainties are questioned and conventional wisdoms are challenged on all sides. These insightful essays help us make sense of the ongoing debates that make contemporary Iranian society so exciting.--H. E. Chehabi, Boston University

From the Publisher

Recommended

Choice

The essays in this volume critically analyze the intellectual life of Iran, where the Islamic state's ideologically motivated policies have had paradoxical effects and unanticipated consequences in society, resulting in a cultural ferment in which old certainties are questioned and conventional wisdoms are challenged on all sides. These insightful essays help us make sense of the ongoing debates that make contemporary Iranian society so exciting.

H. E. Chehabi

Those seeking a probing, thoughtful, and multi-faceted understanding of modernity in Iran will find this volume highly pertinent and valuable. It is a welcome addition to the growing scholarly literature on modern Iran.....

Fakhreddin Azimi

Recommendeddddd

CHOICE