The Idea Of Persia (a Philosophical Enquiry)

By (author) Jahanbegloo Ramin; Appendix by Muhammad Ali Foroughi; Translated by Akhtar, Nadeem
Short description/annotation:
The book explores the notion of what it is to be Persian and the idea of Persia as a means of investigating the soul of this fascinating nation.
Description:

In 1721, in his famous Lettres persane (The Persian Letters), the French philosopher Montesquieu posed the question ''Comment peut-on etre persan?'' The answer to that question is perhaps an even more wide-ranging, challenging and fascinating conundrum today.

In his exploration of where such an answer might be found, the renowned contemporary philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo turns to the writings of the politician and diplomat Muhammad Ali Foroughi (1877-1942), and his vision of what ''being'' a Persian might embrace. After centuries of invasion, murder, destruction and authoritarian rule, this philosophical investigation examines Montesquieu''s original question against a backdrop in which a common, plural subjectivity of Persian-ness has been frustrated for centuries, and at a time when the country is wrestling with the possibility of an extended period of political, social and cultural decline. Even so, the battle for social and political freedoms is still underway in Iran; and in The Idea of Persia, the concept of nationhood is presented as the means by which Iranians may liberate themselves from the heroes and saints of old, and remake their political mentality in a manner that stays true to an age-old idea of Persian-ness, and to the author''s own belief in freedom as a virtue that has to be taught.

Table of contents:

Prologue: The Land of Hidden Politics 1
I. ''Comment peut-on etre persan?'' 11
II. Mapping Persianism 19
III. The Changing Concept of the Intellectual in Iran 29
IV. Muhammad Ali Foroughi: Enlightening the Idea
of Persia 43
V. Do Iranians Dream of Democracy? 55
VI. Is Nonviolence Possible in Iran? 73
Epilogue: Thinking and Acting without Heroes and Saints 93
Bibliography 101
Appendix I: ''Why should one love Iran?''
by Muhammad Ali Foroughi 105
Appendix II: ''Rights in Iran'' by Muhammad Ali Foroughi 113
Index 132
Acknowledgements 134
Review quote:
''The Idea of Persia is a compelling and eloquent examination of the Iranian people''s struggle for democracy and social liberty by one of Iran''s most significant thinkers. Ramin Jahanbegloo argues that by embracing the humanistic values intrinsic to Iranian culture, and building on the examples of enlightened thinkers of the early twentieth century, Iran can overcome the fanaticism and violence that has beleaguered it for so long, and achieve the political and social freedoms Iranians have long sought.'' 
Robert Steele, Institute of Iranian Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences

The Idea of Persia could not have been published at a more fitting time. Jahanbegloo’s deep and philosophical reading of Foroughi as a multi-faceted intellectual and statesman offers not just a biography but a reintroduction. Jahanbegloo doesn''t just describe Foroughi; he resurrects him as a model for a new generation of political thinkers and statesmen. … It invites young Iranians and curious minds globally to consider what kind of political selfhood is possible when informed by culture, reason, and depth. Reading this book is not just recommended; it is necessary. For Iranians seeking clarity in the fog of today''s disorientation, it offers a sense of anchorage. For non-Iranians seeking to understand what Iran was, is and could be, this is a gateway to the philosophical soul of a nation often obscured by headlines, caricatures, and politics. The Idea of Persia is a mirror: it reflects what was possible then and whispers what might still be reclaimed.

Mehrdad Loghmani – Co-Founder of Nonviolence Without Borders, Co-Author of