سید جواد میری

In this article, the author is trying to problematize the concept of critique in Critical Theory by arguing that we need to go beyond the traditional parameters of the Critical Theory Canon as defined by Euro-Atlantic historiographers and critical social theorists. But in order to achieve this goal the author has attempted to demonstrate alternative approaches in conceptualizing complexities of social reality by employing the concept of Istehmar as defined by Ali Shariati. What does Istehmar mean? How does Shariati articulate this concept in sociological fashion? How is this concept different than classical concepts such as anomie, alienation and disenchantment?

One of the most complex issues in understanding the evolution of human society is religion. However, religion in this sense is not the spiritual dimension of confessional or rhetorical form; rather it is a social phenomenon that has long been considered as one of the fundamental components of human society. Archaeological excavations often lead to the unearthing of movable and immovable objects that bear an obvious symbolic insignia; this is suggestive of the roles of beliefs and convictions in the formation of these objects. For instance, during the Neolithic period in some archeological sites such as Catalhoyuk in Anatolia, Sheikhiabad in Kermanshah and a number of other sites in the Near East, some objects were found that can be considered as symbolic made for specific purposes according to humans’ rituals and beliefs. In the present article, we study the views and theories of anthropologists and sociologists about religions, and the views of archaeologists about symbolism and religion in the contemporary world and in the beginning of the Neolithic period. Employing an interpretive approach, we examine and analyze possible intentions behind construction and functions of these symbolic objects.

In this article, the author is attempting to inquire intellectual trends in the post-‎revolutionary context of Iran. He has gone through the works of Soroush, Malekyan and ‎Kadivar in relation to questions such as religion, society, governance, state and religion. His main idea could be summed up as the break-away of religious ‎intellectuals from conceptualizing religion in terms of jurisprudential frame of reference and ‎this itself has created new ways of understanding religion and its locus within modern ‎society of Iran in the 21 st century.‎

In order to study the formation of human’s perception, it is significant to determine what reconstructive reality perception is, how they are formed, and what are their positions in the categorization of intelligibilities and in the analysis and reconstruction of social theory. Relations between human beings and the ones between human beings and their surroundings fall under the category of reconstructive reality; therefore, it is important to understand what reconstructive realities are and how they can be reconstructed and ranked based on Allameh Tabatabai’s philosophy. Employing the descriptive analytical method, the present study focuses on the analysis of reconstructive reality perception in his philosophy, through which, moral and social systems can be shaped. Social theory does not discuss the truth of existence, instead, sheds light on the realm of accident. By introducing the reconstructive reality theory, Allameh Tabatabai links the scope of philosophy and wisdom in the Islamic tradition to the issues and possibilities of occurrence – and in the ratio of reconstructive reality that man provides. Assuming the power of human credibility, he introduces an abstract concept called society in his philosophy, and, in this sense, he creates a link between philosophy and sociology that has not been studied by many scholars. Society has not been seen as a real credible issue among Islamic philosophers. However, Allameh Tabatabai does not consider society as a truth rather speaks of it as a reconstructive reality perception, and this can be a turning point in the discussion of alternative social sciences.

In this paper the author is attempting to assess both Islamism and Post-Islamism discourses and sees whether it is possible to talk about a Post-Islamist turn in the Muslim World, in general, and Iran, in particular. The author believes that we are still in an Islamist era but the challenges ahead belong to competitions between different approaches to Islamism rather than post-Islamist discourses. By arguing this, the author attempts to analyze how these competing discourses may affect the notion and locus of the state in Iran.