Saadi’s Golestan, Anxieties and Challenges of Contemporary Human Beings(مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)
Of the various literary works, which have come to exist during the centuries and civilizations, few are capable of remaining in the universal history of literature and culture. Also among these few, only finger trip has become immortal on the people's mind and memory. One might conclude that having joint humanistic concerns is a cause for the immortality of any work of art or literature. The more a literary work deals with commons, questions, subjectivities and human pains, more people will find their own feelings and "their heart word" in it. Undoubtedly, "Saadi’s Golestan" can be considered one of such works. The present study reconsiders Saadi’s Golestan in terms of anxieties and concerns that contemporary human beings are encountered with. Since Saadi’s strategies and techniques are based on his humanitarian experiences, wisdom and high qualities of genius, intellect and attention to readers, in many situations, it appears to be a solution for the contemporary human problems, and this is the secret to the Golestan’s durability. The research, using descriptive–analytic method and through an inter-textual and induction approach, tries to explain Saadi's humanitarian views and his strategies and techniques to respond to the contemporary human pains and challenges. According to the outcomes of the research, a great part of Saadi's sayings in Golestan is based on his humanistic views and his solutions to the social and spiritual (existential) anxieties and crises. Therefore, his teachings, surpassing the place and time, often can be a healing to the contemporary human's sufferings and a solution for his ongoing challenges.