Democracy in Modern Iran

by Mirsepassi, Ali

• ISBN13: 9780814795644
• ISBN10: 0814795641
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-05-24
• Publisher: New York Univ Pr

Summary

Can Islamic societies embrace democracy? InDemocracy in Modern Iran, Ali Mirsepassi maintains that it is possible, demonstrating that Islam is not inherently hostile to the idea of democracy. Rather, he provides new perspective on how such a political and social transformation could take place, arguing that the key to understanding the integration of Islam and democracy lies in concrete social institutions rather than pre-conceived ideas, the every days experiences rather than abstract theories. Mirsepassi, an Iranian native, provides a rare inside look into the country, offering a deep understanding of how Islamic countries like Iran and Iraq can and will embrace democracy. Democracy in Modern Iranchallenges readers to think about Islam and democracy critically and in a far more nuanced way than is done in black-and-white dichotomies of Islam vs. Democracy, or Iran vs. the West. This essential volume contributes important insights to current discussions, creating a more complex conception of modernity in the Eastern world and, with it, Mirsepassi offers to a broad Western audience a more accurate, less clicheacute;d vision of Iran's political reality.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Preface: "Where Is My Vote?"	p. ix
Introduction: Democracy and Culture	p. 1
The Origins of Secularism in Europe	p. 25
Modern Visions of Secularism	p. 49
A Critical Understanding of Modernity	p. 65
Intellectuals and Democracy	p. 81
Religious Intellectuals	p. 103
Alireza Alavi-Tabar and Political Change	p. 125
The Predicaments of Iranian Public Intellectuals	p. 149
An Intellectual Crisis in Iran	p. 169
Conclusion: Modernity and Its Traditions	p. 185
Notes	p. 193
Index	p. 205
About the Author	p. 219
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