Iranian Domestic Policy
Mohsen Mizazade; Hamid Reza Rhamanizadeh Dehkordi
Abstract
Many contemporary political conflicts in Iran result from the clash between tradition and modernity. Traditionalists like Ahmad Ferdid, Reza Davari Ardakani, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr staunchly champion tradition while wholly rejecting modernity. Surprisingly, there has been a significant dearth of scholarly ...
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Many contemporary political conflicts in Iran result from the clash between tradition and modernity. Traditionalists like Ahmad Ferdid, Reza Davari Ardakani, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr staunchly champion tradition while wholly rejecting modernity. Surprisingly, there has been a significant dearth of scholarly scrutiny directed toward the epistemological foundations underpinning their unwavering support for tradition. This research aims to unveil the epistemological scaffold upon which traditionalists rely, utilizing the "ratio decidendi" method. In contrast to prior studies primarily fixated on traditionalists' envisioned epistemology, this inquiry delves into their innate epistemological perspectives concerning tradition and modernity. The findings suggest that attempting to reconcile tradition and modernity by treating tradition as a whole presents an insurmountable challenge. Alternatively, by conceiving tradition as a collection, subject to augmentation or reduction, a potential pathway emerges for a partial amalgamation of tradition and modernity. Traditionalists, who regard tradition and modernity as immutable and unalterable wholes, aspire to eliminate modernity and establish an all-encompassing traditional system. Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that Nasr offers a circumscribed yet contingent framework for the coexistence of tradition and modernity.
