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Reflections Of Humanity: Two Views Of Civilization And The Plight Of Man: Lectures
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First published June 1, 1984
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About the author
Ali Shariati
366 books2,485 followersAli Shariati was an Iranian revolutionary and sociologist who focused on the sociology of religion. He is held as one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century and has been called the ideologue of the Iranian Revolution. He was born in 1933 in Kahak (a village in Mazinan), a suburb of Sabzevar, found in northeastern Iran, to a family of clerics.
Shariati developed fully novice approach to Shi'ism and interpreted the religion in a revolutionary manner. His interpretation of Shi'ism encouraged revolution in the world and promised salvation after death. Shariati referred to his brand of Shi'ism as "Red Shi'ism" which he contrasted with clerical-dominated, unrevolutionary "Black Shi'ism" or Safavid Shi'ism. Shariati's works were highly influenced by the Third Worldism that he encountered as a student in Paris — ideas that class war and revolution would bring about a just and classless society. He believed Shia should not merely await the return of the 12th Imam but should actively work to hasten his return by fighting for social justice, "even to the point of embracing martyrdom", saying "everyday is Ashoura, every place is Karbala." Shariati had a dynamic view about Islam: his ideology about Islam is closely related to Allama Iqbal's ideology as according to both intellectuals, change is the greatest law of nature and Islam.
Persian:
دکتر شریعتی در سال ۱۳۱۲ در خانواده ای مذهبی چشم به جهان گشود پدر او استاد محمد تقی شریعتی مردی پاک و پارسا و عالم به علوم .نقلی و عقلی و استاد دانشگاه مشهد بود علی پس از گذراندن دوران کودکی وارد دبستان شد و پس از شش سال وارد دانشسرای مقدماتی در مشهد شد. علاوه بر خواندن دروس دانشسرا در کلاسهای پدرش به کسب علم می پرداخت. معلم شهید پس از پایان تحصیلات در دانشسرا به آموزگاری پرداخت و کاری را شروع کرد که در تمامی دوران زندگی کوتاهش سخت به آن شوق داشت و با ایمانی خالص با تمامی وجود آنرا دنبال کرد.
در سال۱۳۵۲، رژیم، حسینیهء ارشاد که پایگاه هدایت و ارشاد مردم بود را تعطیل نمود، و معلم مبارز را بمدت ۱۸ماه روانه زندان میکند و درخ خلوت و تنها ئی است که علی نگاهی به گذشته خویش میافکند و .استراتژی مبارزه را بار دیگر ورق زده و با خدای خویش خلوت میکند از این به بعد تا سال ۱۳۵۶ و هجرت ، دکتر زندگی سختی را پشت سرخ گذاشت . ساواک نقشه داشت که دکتر را به هر صورت ممکن از پا در آورد، ولی شریعتی که از این برنامه آگاه میشود ، آنرا لوث میکند. در این زمان استاد محمد تقی شریعتی را دستگیر و تحت فشار و شکنجه قرار داده بودند تا پسرش را تکذیب و محکوم کند. اما این مسلمان راستینخ سر باز زد، دکتر شریعتی در همان روزها و ساعات خود را در اختیار آنها میگذارد تا اگر خواستند، وی را از بین ببرند و پدر را رها کنند
سایت هواداران
انجمن دکتر شریعتی ــــــــــ فهرست مقالات ــــــــــ صفحه دکتر شریعتی
http://drshariati.org
Shariati developed fully novice approach to Shi'ism and interpreted the religion in a revolutionary manner. His interpretation of Shi'ism encouraged revolution in the world and promised salvation after death. Shariati referred to his brand of Shi'ism as "Red Shi'ism" which he contrasted with clerical-dominated, unrevolutionary "Black Shi'ism" or Safavid Shi'ism. Shariati's works were highly influenced by the Third Worldism that he encountered as a student in Paris — ideas that class war and revolution would bring about a just and classless society. He believed Shia should not merely await the return of the 12th Imam but should actively work to hasten his return by fighting for social justice, "even to the point of embracing martyrdom", saying "everyday is Ashoura, every place is Karbala." Shariati had a dynamic view about Islam: his ideology about Islam is closely related to Allama Iqbal's ideology as according to both intellectuals, change is the greatest law of nature and Islam.
Persian:
دکتر شریعتی در سال ۱۳۱۲ در خانواده ای مذهبی چشم به جهان گشود پدر او استاد محمد تقی شریعتی مردی پاک و پارسا و عالم به علوم .نقلی و عقلی و استاد دانشگاه مشهد بود علی پس از گذراندن دوران کودکی وارد دبستان شد و پس از شش سال وارد دانشسرای مقدماتی در مشهد شد. علاوه بر خواندن دروس دانشسرا در کلاسهای پدرش به کسب علم می پرداخت. معلم شهید پس از پایان تحصیلات در دانشسرا به آموزگاری پرداخت و کاری را شروع کرد که در تمامی دوران زندگی کوتاهش سخت به آن شوق داشت و با ایمانی خالص با تمامی وجود آنرا دنبال کرد.
در سال۱۳۵۲، رژیم، حسینیهء ارشاد که پایگاه هدایت و ارشاد مردم بود را تعطیل نمود، و معلم مبارز را بمدت ۱۸ماه روانه زندان میکند و درخ خلوت و تنها ئی است که علی نگاهی به گذشته خویش میافکند و .استراتژی مبارزه را بار دیگر ورق زده و با خدای خویش خلوت میکند از این به بعد تا سال ۱۳۵۶ و هجرت ، دکتر زندگی سختی را پشت سرخ گذاشت . ساواک نقشه داشت که دکتر را به هر صورت ممکن از پا در آورد، ولی شریعتی که از این برنامه آگاه میشود ، آنرا لوث میکند. در این زمان استاد محمد تقی شریعتی را دستگیر و تحت فشار و شکنجه قرار داده بودند تا پسرش را تکذیب و محکوم کند. اما این مسلمان راستینخ سر باز زد، دکتر شریعتی در همان روزها و ساعات خود را در اختیار آنها میگذارد تا اگر خواستند، وی را از بین ببرند و پدر را رها کنند
سایت هواداران
انجمن دکتر شریعتی ــــــــــ فهرست مقالات ــــــــــ صفحه دکتر شریعتی
http://drshariati.org
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 29, 2023
This is a fundamental, evergreen and heartbreaking lecture delivered by the prominent Iranian scholar, Ali Shariati who completed his doctoral studies in sociology in France in 1964. No wonder some of his lectures will attract more than 6000 audience from different background.
In this book, Ali Shariati begins with his reflection on how the seven great wonders of the civilization are being made at the expense of flesh, blood, bones and life of thousands human being or in the other word – slavery. For instance, when he visited the three Piramids of Egypt, he learnt that slaves had to bring 800 million blocks of stones from Aswan to Cairo which is 980 km away to construct a building where mummified bodies of Pharaohs were to be preserved. Of the 30 000 slaves who brought the heavy blocks of stones from hundred miles away, on daily basis, hundreds of them were crushed under the heavy loads and they were buried collectively in a ditch there!
That visit deeply strucked him on how the same human being who was born in different geographical areas had an inconsequential differences when it is view from the basis of humankind. At this point of view, Ali Shariati viewed civilization as a curse.
When Islam was revealed to prophet Muhammad SAW, his palace was just a few rooms constructed of clay and he was among the workers who carried the loads and built the rooms. His court was made of wood and palm-tree leaves. The human dignity was elevated when the slaves and poors become leaders like Bilal, Abu-Zar and Salim (slave of the wife of Khudhaifa).
When the modern era comes, human are being enslaved in the fabric of thought, heart and will power. Faith in goals, humanitarian responsibilities and belief in one’s own school of thought are entirely taken away from our heart by the systems, powers, machines and palaces.
Here come the significant point where Ali Shariati dissects the subtle difference between modernisation and genuine civilisation as modern people believe that what they already have nowadays is the civilisation, where on the other hand, it is just modernisation insinuated by the Europeans.
The best example during the current situation was given by Charlie Chaplin in a famous film, “Modern Times” where philosophy, identity, reality and title of human being are scratched with the machine, work and job. The question of where the machine comes from, where it goes and why it does so, did not come out. Eventually, this man no longer perceives himself as the human being who once had varied expression of sentiments, desires, needs, weaknesses, sensibilities, memories and virtues. He become a “one dimensional man” as described by Marcuse or “depreciated man” as described by Rene Guenon or “circular man” who produces for the sake of consumption and consumes for the sake of production as described by Shondel.
Man as a “microcosm” then was reduced to an extension of wrench – perceives himself and his reality as nothing more than part of a machine. He gradually obliterates his true personality and fills it instead with the characterisics of machine tools, job routine, bureaucratic hierarchy and eventually begins to identify himself with these. This is what we called “cultural alienation” where one does not perceive himself as he is, but rather perceives something else in his place. He is “alienated” as what he conceives himself is not his real self at all, and whether it be as money or as machine, his conception makes no difference at all.
At the half end of the lecture, Ali Shariati defines the culture as a collection of intellectual, non-material artistic, historical, literary, religious and emotional expressions (in the form of signs, symbols, traditions, customs, relics and mores) of a nation which have accumulated in the course of its history and acquired unique form. They signify the pains, desires, temperaments, social characteristics, life patterns, social relations and economic structure of a nation. Culture therefore is the expression and super-structure of the real being of society.
The non-European countries in the past is real and genuine society because it has its own authentic and solid civilisation. They were unique in their desires, ways of doing things, thoughts, recreations, tastes, delicacies, forms of worship and all their good and bad behaviour, action, beauties, philosophy, religion – everything belongs to them (not taken from Western Civilisation). When Western societies impose their philosophy, way of thinking, desires, ideas, tastes and manners upon non-European countries, they have force their symbols of civilisation (technological innovation) which consume new products and gadgets and eventually make non-European countries become a “mosaic societies” who did not know how to integrate different part of their cultures, how to make a civilisation of themselves, did not understand what they live for, what is their goals and what their ideology contains. They end up to become a confused, aimless and formless society.
This mosaic societies emerged and developed gradually from Middle Ages, 16th century of Renaissance and 17th century of liberalism until 18th century of scientific progress, 19th century of ideologies and 20th century of capitalist societies with the invention of machine – with the characteristic of the need for constant production.
Invention of Machine > more Production > more Money
When capitalist gained control of machinery, science and technology in 18th century, they faced an excess production or surplus which make them to make people in Asia and Africa consumers of their (European) products. Societies must be structured so they would buy European products. They need to transform a “man” in order to change his clothing, consumption pattern, adornment, abide and city. First part is to change his moral, spirit and thinking. The structural elements in it are religion, history, culture, past civilisation, education and tradition. These elements are differ from one society to another. They all have to become the same and conform to a single pattern. Thus, new culture called “modernisation” was presented as the best method to deny, desecrete and destroy non-Europeans past, unique culture, religion and personality.
Non-Europeans start to equate modernisation with civilisation when modernisation itself is actually modernised in consumption!
This is portrayed by the writing of Jean Paul Sartre in the preface of the Wretched of the Earth, “We would bring a group of African or Asian youth to Amsterdam, Paris, London... for a few months, take them around, change their clothes and adornments, teach them etiquette and social manners as well as some fragment of language. In short, we would empty them of their own cultural values and then send them back to their own countries. They would no longer be the kind of person to speak their own mind; rather they would be our mouthpieces. We would cry the slogans of humanity and equality and then they would echo our voice in Africa and Asia, “–manity,”“–quality.”
For a deeper and robust stretch of dicussion on this topic, I would highly recommend reading Rene Guenon’s “The Crisis of the Modern World” (1927), Fazlur Rahman’s “Islam and Modernity” (1982), Prof. al-Attas’ “Islam and Secularism” (1978) and “Islam dalam Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu” (1972) and satirical classic film by Charlie Chaplin entitled “Modern Times” (1936) in order to digest what modernity has brought us to the present day.
In this book, Ali Shariati begins with his reflection on how the seven great wonders of the civilization are being made at the expense of flesh, blood, bones and life of thousands human being or in the other word – slavery. For instance, when he visited the three Piramids of Egypt, he learnt that slaves had to bring 800 million blocks of stones from Aswan to Cairo which is 980 km away to construct a building where mummified bodies of Pharaohs were to be preserved. Of the 30 000 slaves who brought the heavy blocks of stones from hundred miles away, on daily basis, hundreds of them were crushed under the heavy loads and they were buried collectively in a ditch there!
That visit deeply strucked him on how the same human being who was born in different geographical areas had an inconsequential differences when it is view from the basis of humankind. At this point of view, Ali Shariati viewed civilization as a curse.
When Islam was revealed to prophet Muhammad SAW, his palace was just a few rooms constructed of clay and he was among the workers who carried the loads and built the rooms. His court was made of wood and palm-tree leaves. The human dignity was elevated when the slaves and poors become leaders like Bilal, Abu-Zar and Salim (slave of the wife of Khudhaifa).
When the modern era comes, human are being enslaved in the fabric of thought, heart and will power. Faith in goals, humanitarian responsibilities and belief in one’s own school of thought are entirely taken away from our heart by the systems, powers, machines and palaces.
Here come the significant point where Ali Shariati dissects the subtle difference between modernisation and genuine civilisation as modern people believe that what they already have nowadays is the civilisation, where on the other hand, it is just modernisation insinuated by the Europeans.
The best example during the current situation was given by Charlie Chaplin in a famous film, “Modern Times” where philosophy, identity, reality and title of human being are scratched with the machine, work and job. The question of where the machine comes from, where it goes and why it does so, did not come out. Eventually, this man no longer perceives himself as the human being who once had varied expression of sentiments, desires, needs, weaknesses, sensibilities, memories and virtues. He become a “one dimensional man” as described by Marcuse or “depreciated man” as described by Rene Guenon or “circular man” who produces for the sake of consumption and consumes for the sake of production as described by Shondel.
Man as a “microcosm” then was reduced to an extension of wrench – perceives himself and his reality as nothing more than part of a machine. He gradually obliterates his true personality and fills it instead with the characterisics of machine tools, job routine, bureaucratic hierarchy and eventually begins to identify himself with these. This is what we called “cultural alienation” where one does not perceive himself as he is, but rather perceives something else in his place. He is “alienated” as what he conceives himself is not his real self at all, and whether it be as money or as machine, his conception makes no difference at all.
At the half end of the lecture, Ali Shariati defines the culture as a collection of intellectual, non-material artistic, historical, literary, religious and emotional expressions (in the form of signs, symbols, traditions, customs, relics and mores) of a nation which have accumulated in the course of its history and acquired unique form. They signify the pains, desires, temperaments, social characteristics, life patterns, social relations and economic structure of a nation. Culture therefore is the expression and super-structure of the real being of society.
The non-European countries in the past is real and genuine society because it has its own authentic and solid civilisation. They were unique in their desires, ways of doing things, thoughts, recreations, tastes, delicacies, forms of worship and all their good and bad behaviour, action, beauties, philosophy, religion – everything belongs to them (not taken from Western Civilisation). When Western societies impose their philosophy, way of thinking, desires, ideas, tastes and manners upon non-European countries, they have force their symbols of civilisation (technological innovation) which consume new products and gadgets and eventually make non-European countries become a “mosaic societies” who did not know how to integrate different part of their cultures, how to make a civilisation of themselves, did not understand what they live for, what is their goals and what their ideology contains. They end up to become a confused, aimless and formless society.
This mosaic societies emerged and developed gradually from Middle Ages, 16th century of Renaissance and 17th century of liberalism until 18th century of scientific progress, 19th century of ideologies and 20th century of capitalist societies with the invention of machine – with the characteristic of the need for constant production.
Invention of Machine > more Production > more Money
When capitalist gained control of machinery, science and technology in 18th century, they faced an excess production or surplus which make them to make people in Asia and Africa consumers of their (European) products. Societies must be structured so they would buy European products. They need to transform a “man” in order to change his clothing, consumption pattern, adornment, abide and city. First part is to change his moral, spirit and thinking. The structural elements in it are religion, history, culture, past civilisation, education and tradition. These elements are differ from one society to another. They all have to become the same and conform to a single pattern. Thus, new culture called “modernisation” was presented as the best method to deny, desecrete and destroy non-Europeans past, unique culture, religion and personality.
Non-Europeans start to equate modernisation with civilisation when modernisation itself is actually modernised in consumption!
This is portrayed by the writing of Jean Paul Sartre in the preface of the Wretched of the Earth, “We would bring a group of African or Asian youth to Amsterdam, Paris, London... for a few months, take them around, change their clothes and adornments, teach them etiquette and social manners as well as some fragment of language. In short, we would empty them of their own cultural values and then send them back to their own countries. They would no longer be the kind of person to speak their own mind; rather they would be our mouthpieces. We would cry the slogans of humanity and equality and then they would echo our voice in Africa and Asia, “–manity,”“–quality.”
For a deeper and robust stretch of dicussion on this topic, I would highly recommend reading Rene Guenon’s “The Crisis of the Modern World” (1927), Fazlur Rahman’s “Islam and Modernity” (1982), Prof. al-Attas’ “Islam and Secularism” (1978) and “Islam dalam Sejarah dan Kebudayaan Melayu” (1972) and satirical classic film by Charlie Chaplin entitled “Modern Times” (1936) in order to digest what modernity has brought us to the present day.
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