BHUM 13A03 - Arab intellectual and cultural production after the Nahda

The twentieth century inaugurated an era of profound socio-political upheavals throughout the Arab world. Concurrently, this period saw a marked expansion in access to knowledge and education, propelled by the founding of universities, the proliferation of publishing houses, and the efflorescence of cultural journals. These institutional transformations engendered a rich, heterogeneous intellectual production across domains such as politics, philosophy, and the arts. This seminar proposes a historical interrogation of modern and contemporary Arab thought, foregrounding seminal issues through collective reading and discussion of a diverse textual corpus. It examines the principal concepts and ideas elaborated during the twentieth century, in tandem with the socio-political and cultural milieus that catalyzed the formation of Arab intellectual communities. Special attention will be given to the material and social channels through which ideas circulated, including the mobility of intellectuals and artists, the pivotal role of translators, and the dynamics of knowledge circulation at national, regional, and international levels.