Rationalism, Politics, and Theory of Knowledge. A Contribution to Contemporary Arab-Islamic Philosophy

The present text is a significant excerpt from the interview released in 1981 by the Moroccan philosopher Mohamed Abed al-Jabri in the journal al-thaquafa al-djadida [The New Culture]. The text was later revisited by al-Jabri himself and published in 1991 with the title li` anna al-aqlaniya darura [Why rationalism is necessary] in a book on the relationship between tradition and modernity in the Arab-Islamic culture, At-turath wal- hadatha [Tradition and Modernity]. The interview deals with some of the central points in the contemporary debate on the social, political and cultural renewal of the Arabic world. Al-Jabri thinks that a critical perspective on Arab-Islamic culture must be developed. He maintains that in the Arab-Islamic world there is an enormous need for philosophy - discussion and rational argumentation -and for rationalism. Rationalism would contribute, among other things, to freeing politics and science from the chains of dogmatism, religion and tradition.