Global Thought
A Sage Brought to Life
Ahmed Vall Dine’s novel “Danishmand” (“The Wise Master”) is not simply a work of historical fiction. By imaginatively documenting the life story of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, one of the most prominent figures in the Islamic intellectual tradition, it allows us to join him on his spiritual quest.
Caste, Democracy and Buddhism
Bhimrao Ambedkar helped write the Indian Constitution, campaigned against caste oppression, and remains a household name for many in the country. His democratic vision combined the pragmatist ideas of the American philosopher John Dewey with his novel Navayana or “new vehicle” form of Buddhism.
How Two 19th-Century Books Paved the Way for Modernism
The common concerns of two 1855 works, Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” and Shidyaq’s “Leg Over Leg” — in particular, language, equality, freedom, paradox and multiplicity — illustrate the international nature of how the 19th century wrestled with modernity.
A Syrian Dissident’s Lecture Shows How the Country Missed Its Reforming Moment
In 2001, Syria missed an opportunity for reform. A pivotal lecture from that summer by the late Riad al-Turk, jointly published here with Al-Jumhuriya, shows what could have been — and how the Syrian civil war might have been avoided.
Juergen Habermas Contradicts His Own Ideas When It Comes to Gaza
"It is admirable that you and your country’s political-intellectual class are adamant about sustaining the memory of that historic horror so that similar horrors will not befall the Jews. But your formulation of, and fixation on, German exceptionalism leaves practically no room for conversation about Israel’s policies and Palestinian rights."
A Talk With the Dean of Arab Liberalism
If Saghieh is branded today by fans and detractors alike as the dean, or grand old man, of Arab liberalism, he certainly did not begin his intellectual journey in that vein. It was only after 30 years of espousing every stripe of radicalism that he met with an insurmountable crisis of faith and “recovered,” as he puts it half-jokingly, from the “fever” of political extremism that would otherwise have killed him.
Russian Intellectuals in Exile
The current wave of emigration presents an agonizing catch-22: The political thinkers and artists best equipped to analyze, criticize and hold up a mirror to the dictatorship can now see their country only from the outside and don’t know when, or if, they will be able to return.