A Reflection on Contemporary Iranian Sociology and Its Relation to the Past, a Lecture by Yousef Abazari

Dr. Yousef Abazari delivered a lecture at the Eight Decades of Social Sciences conference at the University of Tehran, on the topic “A Reflection on Contemporary Iranian Sociology and Its Relation to the Past.”

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Yousef Abazari:

. When I entered this university, Dr. Tavassoli, Dr. Mohammad Mirzaei, and others were all here, and we must express our gratitude to all of them, for it was Dr. Tavassoli who kept the light of this discipline burning in the early years of the revolution and carried it forward.

He added: Before this, sociology was not far removed from social philosophy, and if you look at the sociologists of the nineteenth century, they are, in a sense, more social philosophers. For example, Comte’s theories are a kind of philosophy of history rather than sociology. It was at this point that states turned to sociologists.

Yousef Abazari continued: It was in this era, and within this context and core, that sociology was born. The aim of sociology was neither philosophizing nor anything else; rather, it drew upon social philosophy. Sociology sought to empirically assist society and the state, to serve as a kind of mediator between them, and it played many roles. We witnessed the flourishing of many sociological views and ideas. In any case, everyone was working on a global level, and more importantly, the empirical branch of Iranian sociology was also working, but sociology must empirically mediate between the various strata and groups of society and the state.

Pointing to the role of sociology in society and that sociology does not have a revolutionary role, he said: Sociology is a reformist science, though there are, of course, radical individuals within sociology. The foundation of sociology is a reformist one, and it seeks to improve affairs. For it takes root and operates within this very tripartite world context. In Iran, too, the previous regime had no need for sociology, for totalitarian and despotic regimes have no need for sociology. Look, from Pinochet to Stalin, they have no need for sociology. Sociology is useful for those who want to get things done.

He continued: Our society, influenced by global society and, consequently, the state, was at that time following global models and thinking that the state must do something for the people and eliminate a series of deficiencies. As a result, sociology found and held a position at that time. I do not mean that sociologists or the state knew that sociology held this position. But such a thing existed. After the revolution, this situation changed. Now, this has a detailed history as to why it happened this way, and for this, we must thank Dr. Tavassoli, who fought for the survival of sociology at the beginning of the revolution, preserved it, and allowed it to continue its work.

Abazari continued: After the war, something happened that we still have not understood and do not know. A neoliberal economic current emerged and, in a sense, overran society. Sociologists did not grasp this because we were preoccupied with culture and so on. I, too, did not know what was happening. Whereas we did not know that the founders of sociology had other perspectives, such as the division of labor and so on. Sociology forgot economics, but this school of thought came and captured society; yet, in any case, sociology did not see these things.

He said: They have two rules, and if we reflect on them we arrive at very important conclusions. First, that economic laws are immutable, the same laws of the free market and … It is very important to know that, in their view, the worst government is an interventionist government. All economic laws are determined by the free-market mechanism, and governments have no right to intervene in any matters whatsoever, and in their view the worst government is an interventionist government. That is, a government that must, by any means possible, allow the laws of the market to do their work. Whereas in Keynesian economics the basis is that economic groups negotiate, bargain, and consult with one another, and consequently there is room for something called democracy. They have a particular interpretation of democracy and remove the economy from it, and what remains is consumption. Their model is something like Dubai. They believe in the invisible hand of the market. You are free to do whatever you like, but don’t tell me you are hungry, and this is where the state can do nothing.

He continued: Someone who pursues this economics says: don’t talk to me about wages, the economy, unemployment, and so on. Because the economy has an invisible hand about which I cannot consult with you. Our governing body has accepted this issue, and it has nothing to do with this faction or that faction. Policies are moving toward the realization of this affair. The privatization of the university is part of this affair.

He added: The second rule they have is that there is no such thing as society; it is individuals who exist. And if there is no such thing as society, the results that follow are these. But the point is that you are an individual, and the idea that you might want to go and gather and bargain with the state over your rights—that does not exist, go wherever else you want. There is no such thing as society; rather, there is the individual. See, the result of this is that the first science to be thrown out of the circle of sciences is sociology. Which has happened, and it happened on a global level as well. It is happening right now.

Abazari further added: One of the reasons sociology is being destroyed at the level of Iranian society is precisely these two discussions, and right now it fundamentally has no standing, and perhaps it is better to say it does not exist at all. And the result of that was that a series of changes occurred at the level of education, and education was destroyed under the pretext of research; they destroyed education in the name of research. And this research became tied to state and macro projects, the ultimate outcome of which is unclear. With the weakening of sociology, two sciences adjacent to sociology, namely psychology and philosophy, gained power.

The University of Tehran sociology professor added: Psychology and philosophy have today brought a calamity upon Iran, the end of which is unclear. Psychologists say that society has a problem, but this problem is not in society; it is in the individual. For example, Iran has the highest consumption of tranquilizers. Why has this happened? If I say I am poor, and I say I have no water, they say this has nothing to do with the state. The market must solve these things. Therefore, the result is the atomization of individuals, which we are witnessing, whereas social solidarity seeks mediation, and Durkheim is not at all after conflict and quarrel.

Abazari continued: Therefore, first, friends must be aware of what is happening, and then let us come and talk about the shortcomings of the social sciences. It is not a shortcoming; rather, there is fundamentally no place for sociology. It is a kind of philosophy. Philosophy has squeezed out the space for empirical sociology. Sociology deals with an atomized individual, but philosophy says: I will give you the foundations. It says: I must bring new categories, and this sociology is not enough. Today, even those who speak of Islamization say: these are not enough; rather, I must give you the categories. Now, where must the categories come from? Naturally, they must come from a philosophy.

The University of Tehran professor stated: Generally speaking, there are three philosophical currents in Iran; one is the philosophy of ancient Iran, which we have all witnessed, and in a way this too is a kind of that philosophy. Another is the neoliberals, who also curse sociology in the worst language. Their argument is that there is no such thing as society. When the structure is such that the state must not interfere in anything, it is clear what happens. The group of conservative sociologists that has now become fashionable and believes in the death of sociology, claiming that sociological categories are outdated and that we possess a novel version of it, whereas sociology must deal with the reality of external phenomena, not with general categories and phenomena. They all say that new categories must be created.

He said: All three of these currents share one common point, which is that they say there is no such thing as society, and that we can determine the boundaries of society through philosophy. At this time, sociology has lost its position and essentially has no standing. Psychologists and philosophers are all thriving because they speak of things that people do not understand, as they are not empirical. Whereas sociology, which is an empirical science and in a way seeks to intervene in people's lives, has no place.

Continuing, he referred to the issue of education in universities, saying: Today, education has been abandoned. According to this system, the professor and the student are not supposed to teach and demand lessons. This is no one's fault; rather, the system wants this. Just look, today no one has the patience to read a book for 13 hours to go to class, and this is what the system wants. Therefore, our problem is this, not that we lack thinkers. The weakness of education is systemic, and it is no one's fault. Rather, everyone is disarmed in the face of such a system.

He added: This is our problem. The state does not need a sociologist to understand the people. An example: when you raise the price of energy carriers and call it adjustment, what does that mean? It means you want to bring them closer to the free market price. This has been a project that all political factions have said they wished they had carried out. The logic of austerity policy has absolutely nothing to do with prudence. Countries like Greece, Spain, and Italy were ruined by austerity policies, whereas Latin America, precisely because it takes sociologists seriously, is trying to escape this predicament.

He continued: Austerity policy stems neither from prudence nor from hope. Rather, it is the logical consequence of pursuing a policy of raising prices or adjusting energy carriers. What is the story of Greece? The Germans say to adopt austerity. That is, you have no right to spend money on healthcare. Privatize education, and so on... It is the same in Iran. Whereas in the Keynesian system, it says the state should create development with money it does not have, not with money it does have. When you choose a particular intellectual system, its results are these things we are experiencing. Germany says do not give any money for wage increases, and for the debt you owe me, sell me your ports instead. Let me make foreign investments. We, who are panting so much for foreign policy, this is the logical result of a policy. The Germans bought up Greek soil for a pittance. This is what they mean when they say that what Hitler could not do with his tanks, Merkel is doing with her banks.

Abazari stated: However, the issue is that the position has been lost. The state has no need for sociology. In this model and system, sociology has no place. Because sociology is a realistic science, an expression of the realities of society, and it mediates between groups and advocates for state intervention, whereas we see that states consider themselves to have no need of sociology.

He concluded by saying: My address to the next generation is to take the issue seriously, to be serious in your education, to seek out the study of past texts, and to return to your primary sources. Return to Al-e Ahmad and Shariati and others, and read them, because sociology must either return to its primary sources and read its roots, or you will perish. Grasp the deep problems of your society and know that people are turning toward sociology—meaning that politics has inflicted such casualties that people are in need of sociology. Thousands of unemployed, thousands of anomies... and whatever is real is turning toward sociology, but the sociologist's hands are tied. No one will untie this knot for you with conferences and faculties and the like. You must read, and read, so that you may, by chance, arrive at reality.

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Audio of the lecture A Reflection on Contemporary Iranian Sociology and Its Relation to the Past by Dr. Yousef Abazari

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The lecture "A Reflection on Contemporary Iranian Sociology and Its Relation to the Past" was delivered on April 27, 2015, at the "Eight Decades of Social Sciences at the University of Tehran" conference, held at the university's Faculty of Social Sciences.

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