DSPO 23A10 - Contemporary Arab intellectuals: Knowledge production practices after the revolutions

The Arab revolutions could at first glance be considered as a continuation of a well-established intellectual movement, the Arab Nahda. Even if the Arab revolutions did not carry Pan-Arab assumptions, their expression was nevertheless common across Arab countries, calling for universal values such as democracy, freedom and social justice. Some intellectuals of the generation of the sixties read the revolutions in these terms, as a third Nahda. However, the agents of these revolts were not the established or traditional intellectuals of the Nahda-type. In fact, these ‘traditional' intellectuals were not visible actors or spokespersons of any of the Arab revolutions and revolts since 2011. The Arab revolutions came to expose the complicity of the old intellectual whose silence was deafening and whose legitimacy was compromised. Nevertheless, the public space did not constitute a void, there was a manifest proliferation of grassroot cultural and artistic production carried out by a younger generation of artists, journalists, novelists, satirists and educators. They were not considered as ‘public intellectuals', but individuals - highly literate and competent in the use of contemporary forms of communication and activism, who had access to global news and knowledge, different types of scholarship and professions, and were able to comment eloquently on the unfolding events, and act in more collective ways. This course explores the development of the figure of the Arab intellectual from the early 19th century to contemporary times, with a focus on understanding how Arab intellectuals have grappled with questions of modernity, identity, and cultural reform. Beginning with Rifa'a al-Tahtawi, one of the early modernizers in the Arab world, the course traces the evolving roles of intellectuals in society and examines the theories, debates, and key figures that have shaped Arab intellectual history. Students will critically engage with the intersections of intellectual activity, political contexts, and cultural transformations, uncovering thematic trends across different historical periods. Through close readings of primary texts and secondary literature, students will explore how intellectuals responded to colonialism, nationalism, globalization, and current sociopolitical challenges.

Alaa BADR

Séminaire

English

Spring 2024-2025

1°) An in-class presentation/exposé - 35% 2°) A 500-word reflection essay on the oeuvre of one of the intellectuals or intellectual currents studied (Due week 6) - 20% 3°) A 2500-word dissertation on a research topic of the student's choice (Due week 12) - 35% 4°) In-class attendance and participation (including attention and active listening) 10 %