نشریه نظریه های اجتماعی متفکران مسلمان
سال چهاردهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 35، زمستان 1403)

This research aims to compare the concept of Westernization in the intellectual literature of Iranian intellectuals specifically focusing on Dariush Shaygan and Jalal Al-Ahmad to understand the root of the differences in their views. By analyzing their attitudes toward this concept, the research will explain the two distinct political and philosophical approaches that characterize Iranian intellectuals' responses to the dominance of Western culture and civilization in Iranian society, and evaluate and compare their strategies for addressing this situation. An analytical-comparative method has been employed in this research. By applying this approach, the study seeks to analyze the concept of Westernization in the intellectual literature of these two intellectuals and examine the relationship between their intellectual origins and intellectual frameworks, highlighting their fundamental distinctions. The main finding of this research indicates that the primary difference in the concept of Westernization between Al-Ahmad and Shaygan is rooted in their divergent philosophical and political approaches when examining the relationship between modern Western civilization and non-European civilizations. The general result reveals that Al-Ahmad's political and economic approach has led to a post-colonial interpretation of Westernization, while Shaygan's philosophical view, grounded in an ontological critique of modernity, has guided his perspectives toward post-modern attitudes.

One of the fundamental issues of human life is the meaning of life. This topic has become a relatively independent area of study in recent decades. The issue can be examined from different perspectives, with the construction of life's meaning or its objectification beyond individual and social constructs being one of the important areas that has generated diverse scholarly views. The key questions are: Does a person construct meaning for life, or is the world inherently meaningful, requiring only that an individual align their life with this meaning to achieve a meaningful existence? This article compares the views of Peter Berger and Mohammad-Taqi Jafari on this subject. The research was conducted using a hermeneutic method inspired by John Plamenatz. The research reveals that while Peter Berger and Mohammad-Taqi Jafari share many similarities in their analysis of life's meaning and acknowledge the central role of religion in providing meaning, they differ in their perspectives on how meaning is established—whether through construction or discovery. Berger views the meaning of life as a social construct, whereas Mohammad-Taqi Jafari considers meaning as an objective reality that humans can comprehend by harmonizing with existence.

What we call science encompasses various contexts. The distinction between Islamic and Western social sciences shows itself in various contexts of science. To fully comprehend these differences, it is essential to systematically examine all scientific contexts, as neglecting any area can hinder the recognition of these distinctions and obstruct alternative frameworks for scientific development. In the realm of social sciences, at least 12 contexts can be identified through reflection and induction: description, discovery, justification (methodology), hypothesis acceptance, understanding, explanation, prediction, object of study, application, normativity, and concepts. This article focuses specifically on the conceptual context to explore the differences between Islamic and Western social sciences in this domain. The findings suggest that the divergence in conceptual approaches stems from foundational differences in worldview. Concepts serve as lenses through which the world is understood, and each scientific tradition organizes its theories and representations of reality based on these conceptual frameworks. In Islamic social sciences, concepts are not reconstructed; rather, they are imbued with intrinsic value rooted in Islamic Thought. Understanding these concepts in contrast to their Western counterparts necessitates Ijtihad (independent reasoning), as the process involves uncovering meanings that align with Islamic principles.

Shia and Sunni scholars unanimously emphasize the necessity of defending the independence of Islamic lands, a principle deeply rooted in Islamic jurisprudence, particularly in discussions on jihad. This issue has garnered heightened attention in situations where the sovereignty of Muslim territories faces external threats. Islamic jurists have historically addressed such challenges through the issuance of treatises, statements, and jihadi fatwas. Seyyed Ali Tabatabaei, a prominent Islamic jurist, prioritized the preservation of religion and the independence of Islamic societies across social and political domains. This study aims to analyze Tabatabaei’s political thought and strategies in confronting crises that endangered the autonomy of Iran and other Islamic nations under colonial pressures. Key crises included the rivalry among colonial powers for territorial expansion, Russian aggression against Iran, and the emergence of deviant religious sects supported by colonial forces, which threatened the unity and cohesion of Islamic societies. Using a descriptive-analytical approach based on library research, this paper examines the intellectual foundations of Seyyed Ali Tabatabaei’s thought and his strategies for countering these crises. The findings underscore his emphasis on resistance and jihad as pivotal strategies to safeguard the independence and liberation of Islamic societies from colonial domination.

This research aims to examine and compare the basics of the right to self-determination from the perspectives of two prominent thinkers, Immanuel Kant and Imam Khomeini. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the philosophical and political thoughts of these two scholars regarding the right to self-determination and to analyze the similarities and differences in their intellectual basics. The research method is descriptive-analytical and based on a comparative approach, and the research data was collected through library resources. The research findings indicate that the right to self-determination in Kant's thought emphasizes it as a fundamental human right based on absolute will, individual freedom within the framework of moral duty, and legal principles. In contrast, Imam Khomeini, with a theological approach and utilizing Islamic jurisprudence, interprets this right within the context of divine will. In Imam Khomeini's philosophy, human will be defined in harmony with divine will, and the divine dimension of duty plays a crucial role in realizing this right. The results of this research show that although both thinkers acknowledge the right to self-determination as a fundamental human right, the difference in their philosophical basics, particularly Kant's emphasis on individual freedom and Imam Khomeini's emphasis on divine will, has created two different approaches to interpreting this right.

ender justice and the realization of women's rights are important topics that have been discussed for many years, but there are still many unclear points in the Islamic approach to it, from the field of opinion to practical forms. Therefore, the present study decided to investigate this issue in the collection of Ayatollah Khamenei's statements and messages from the beginning of his leadership until 2025 with the help of Ijtihadi method and coding technique. In this method, the base code is extracted based on the examination of the types of verbal meanings of the statements, and then in the categorization stage, the ratio between the codes (absolute and restricted, general and specific, etc. , the context and the audience of the speech is examined). In the intellectual system of leadership, justice is expressed as a combination of equal rights of men and women based on human commonalities, and inequality based on gender differences; In this intellectual system, some examples of equal and different rights of women with men and examples of oppression of women and redefinition of some examples of rights and their details, as well as an examination of the ratio between different rights of women are observed. In the meantime, the right to dignity, which includes rights such as chaste life and ideal life and is in two categories, family and social, is at the top of women's rights. After going through these theoretical prerequisites in the intellectual system of leadership, the present research has extracted a political model in several dimensions of characteristics (including a model based on Islamic goals and rationality, continuous, deep and far from haste and based on an aggressive attitude towards the West and a systemic attitude). explained the main actors of realizing gender justice policy (women as the central actors), the legal priorities of women and strategies (including culture building, reforming and drafting protective and strict laws and the formation of the women's defense movement with chastity and correct slogans) Considering this model, policies related to gender justice can be reviewed, modified and formulated.