Javad Tabatabai, Towards Liberalism or Nationalism? 2; Author: Shahram Etefagh

Javad Tabatabai, Towards Liberalism or Nationalism? 2

Author: Shahram Etefagh – Azar 1400 / Publisher: Sedanet Cultural Institute

I recently published an article entitled “Javad Tabatabai, Towards Liberalism or Nationalism?” on the website of the esteemed Sedanet Institute, which was a critique of the views of Professor Tabatabai’s theoretical apparatus.

Shortly after its publication, a group of friends who are engaged in studying Professor Tabatabai’s works expressed a desire to know my opinion on another article entitled “The Nation-State in Iran, a Political-Philosophical Perspective” written by the esteemed scholar Ahmad Bostani.

Upon studying that weighty article, I found that it contains many valuable points that provide another opportunity to continue the previous discussion about “Javad Tabatabai, Towards Liberalism or Nationalism?” and will lead to further exploration of the issue of “liberalism or nationalism.”

Bostani’s article can be considered to include several general headings, which I have divided into two parts to facilitate the review and critique of the material:

(A) Problem Diagnosis: An attempt is made to introduce the most important problem of Iranian society and its root cause to the audience. According to Bostani, the weakening of the nation-state is the key problem of our society, and the root cause of its emergence is Western political ideologies.

(B) Presentation of Definitions and Introduction of Theory: Following the problem diagnosis, concepts such as nation, national identity, public interest, types of nationalism, multiculturalism, and the like are discussed, and in some cases, new definitions are offered. A theory for the Iranian nation-state is also presented.

Although I do not agree with some components of Bostani’s premises and entry point into the discussion of the “nation-state” in part (A), and I still consider it influenced by the nationalist perspective of Professor Javad Tabatabai, it seems that in part (B), Bostani raises important philosophical claims about concepts such as “nation” and “national identity” that form the core of his article and are very different from the foundation of Tabatabai’s views on those concepts. Naturally, the adoption of such positions by Bostani is considered important because I believe a significant portion of Bostani’s perspective has been inspired by Tabatabai’s thought and in defense of it. Consequently, the analysis of the article “The Nation-State in Iran, a Political-Philosophical Perspective” written by Ahmad Bostani stems from our eagerness to continue exploring and discussing Tabatabai’s views and their relationship to liberalism and nationalism.

Therefore, I still believe that inquiry into this matter is important for students and researchers in both the fields of liberalism and Tabatabai’s thought, and I consider the present writing a continuation of my previous critique of Professor Javad Tabatabai’s views...

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