Gender and the seductions of islam janet afary and kevin b. Gender and the seductions of islamism annotated edition by janet afary, kevin b. Pdf law of the household foucault, neoliberalism and the. And an indirect approach, precisely by leading us away from the object of study, may bring us to a better vantage point. Of course, foucault earned the crit icism he received and copiously receives in this volume for failing to see the dark side of the force animating the iranian revolution. Foucault s interest in the iranian revolution was much more than a journalistic curiosity.
It attempts to deconstruct foucault through highlighting how his early stance on the iranian revolution went against his own principles, how in effect he supposedly became seduced by it and blind to its true nature. Key concepts in foucault s work in my book michel foucault london. Newspaper article by foucault originally published in october 1978. While they supported the overthrow of the shah, they were usually less enthusiastic about the notion of an islamic republic. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Foucault and the iranian revolution is the first booklength analysis of these essays on iran, the majority of which have never before appeared in. Gender and the seductions of lslamism, university of chicago press, 2014. For a more complete list which also includes extensive details of where these concepts can be found in foucault s work please see appendix 2. Foucault had failed morally when he praised a brutal regime. In order to see the significance of foucaults reading of the iranian revolution, i believe it is essential to set aside this myth, which is driven by a commitment to a progressive, universal history and a binary understanding of secular versus islamist politics. Gender and the seductions of islamism by janet afary and kevin b. Anderson are the coauthors of foucault, gender, and the iranian revolution. She is the author of the iranian constitutional revolution, 19061911, and. When he is reminded that he had been absent from the political debates in the 1960s. The rest of the book is truly a testament to how the rhetoric of fear that has defined us foreign policy since september 11 has even reshaped the discourse of the intellectual left. Islamic revolution after the enlightenment behrooz ghamaritabrizi displays an impressively meticulous reading of michel foucault s writings on the events that preceded the overthrow of the pahlavi monarchy in early 1979.
May 18, 2018 he examines the french philosopher michel foucault s writings on the iranian revolution in responses to questions such as. For decades there has been debate, sometimes hushed, sometimes bitter, about michel foucault s celebration of the iranian revolution. Michel foucault, one of the most celebrated philosophers of the twentieth century, was also one of the most controversial because of his refusal to divorce his passions from his principles. This is a marxist critique of foucault s relationship with the iranian revolution. Foucault in iran is a fascinating study of michel foucaults writings on the iranian revolution of 1979, with a focus on the significance of these writings on foucaults later philosophy. Naive critics of foucault have taken his interest in the islamic republic of iran as evidence of his romance with political islam in response perhaps to his early criticism of the leftwing romance with revolution. Mar 27, 2017 part of research on iranian islamic revolution. Foucault and epicureanism of the iranian revolution lxxi whether or not the iranian revolution activated the latent political dimension of foucault s thought, this article examines foucault s complex relation to marx and marxism as the backdrop of his response to the iranian revolution.
We analyze critically the extensive but littleknown writings on iran s 1979 islamic revolution by michel foucault, who traveled there twice in 1978. Andersons foucault and the iranian revolution presents a fascinating historical account of the process whereby the despotic mohammad reza shah pahlavi was overthrown by the iranian masses in 197879, only to yield a dictatorial islamist regime led by reactionary clerics. During his littleknown stint as a journalist, foucault traveled to iran, met with leaders like ayatollah khomeini, and wrote a series of articles on the revolution. Foucault s error, the epilogue highlights the diversity within radical islam from the iranian revolution to september 11 and the mixed response to foucault s work by dissidents in iran. Foucault and the iranian revolution dissent magazine. Foucault s first visit to iran was on september 16, 1978, after the black friday massacre of september 8, when the army opened fire on several thousand protesters at jaleh square in tehran. The reaction to foucault s reports and comments and the plight of woman in iran reflect foucault s blindness to the central political dangers. A splendid work that goes beyond simple binaries, it has no sympathy for the cliched vocabulary used by progressivists to describe these eventsor to criticize foucault for his alleged romanticisation of the iranian revolution. Indeed, i would never have heard of this book at all if a leftwing friend of mine had not generously given it to me. Foucault s reaction to the iranian revolution is his concern as so often in his writings to think. He examines the french philosopher michel foucault s writings on the iranian revolution in responses to questions such as. An account of his reports and understanding of the iranian revolution shows his unawareness of the wider situation and his uncritical celebration of islam as a political force in iran chapter 3.
Foucault and the iranian revolutions only redeeming quality is that it contains translations of foucaults writings on iran in its appendix. Sometimes an exceptional case can be as revealing, in its own way, as the typical one. May 19, 2005 foucaults interest in the iranian revolution was much more than a journalistic curiosity. Foucault, iran and revolution foucauldian reflections. Dec 11, 2017 naive critics of foucault have taken his interest in the islamic republic of iran as evidence of his romance with political islam in response perhaps to his early criticism of the leftwing romance with revolution. Was foucault wrong about the islamic revolution in iran. But he had good cause to be enthusiastic about what was unique in iran s defiance of modernity. Gender and seductions of islamism janet afary and kevin b. Shii narratives of karbala and christian rites of penance. Foucault, shiism, and early christian rituals 38 part ii foucault s writings on the iranian revolution and after chapter 3 the visits to iran and the controversies with atoussa h. Winner of the latifeh yarshater award for the best book in iranian womens studies, 2006. The most significant achievement of foucault and the iranian revolution is, in fact, collecting and translating all of foucault s writings on iran into english. N2 were the thirteen essays michel foucault wrote in 19781979 endorsing the iranian revolution an aberration of his earlier work or an inevitable pitfall of his stance on enlightenment rationality as critics have long alleged.
What we have lacked is documentary evidence of what was said, and by whom. Gender and the seductions of islamism afary, janet, anderson, kevin b. From the appendix to foucault and the iranian revolution. Revisiting foucault and the iranian revolution janet afary. In 1978, foucault made plain his disillusionment with all the secular ideologies of the west and his yearning to see another political imagination emerge from the iranian revolution. Oct 15, 2015 to this roll call of naivete, it is right to add michel foucault and his enthusiasm for the iranian revolution, evident in a series of articles he wrote for french and italian newspapers in late1978 and early1979. Anderson the university of chicago press chicago and london 2005 janet afary is associate professor in the departments of history and womens studies at purdue university.
He traveled to iran in 1978 and wrote copiously on the revolution, especially the islamist wing of the movement, whose goal was to ground iranian cultural identity on an exclusionary religious foundation of shii islamic beliefs and practices. Foucault and epicureanism of the iranian revolution lxxi whether or not the iranian revolution activated the latent political dimension of foucaults thought, this article examines foucaults complex relation to marx and marxism as the backdrop of his response to the iranian revolution. Rather than a sign of remorse from his defense of the revolution, foucault read the iranian revolutionback intokantswas ist aufklarung. Janet afary teaches history and womens studies at purdue university and is the author of the iranian constitutional revolution, 190611. As the iranian revolution was reaching its peak, at the end of 1978, foucault gave a long interview to duccio trombadori, a journalist from l unita, the italian communist partys newspaper. Foucault in iran is a courageous and thoughtprovoking invitation to understand the iranian revolution, and foucault s reaction to it, in an original way. Michel foucaults iranian folly the philosophers magazine. Law of the household foucault, neoliberalism and the iranian revolution. How do we situate foucaults writings on the iranian revolution in his broader political and philosophical project, and can we assume there is indeed a coherent. The myth of the stolen revolution has shaped the historiography of the revolutionary movement of 197879 and. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this foucault and the iranian revolution study guide and get instant access to the following analysis. Foucault, shiism, and early christian rituals 38 part ii foucaults writings on the iranian revolution and after chapter 3 the visits to iran and the controversies with atoussa h. Foucault and the iranian revolution presents a concise and accurate account of foucaults philosophy in clear and translucent language. Anderson, university of chicago press, 2005, 312 pp.
Foucaults writings on the iranian revolution and after. Gender and the seductions of islamism is not exactly a title you would expect to encounter at nro. Foucault and epicureanism of the iranian revolution. Foucault and the iranian revolution presents a concise and accurate account of foucault s philosophy in clear and translucent language. Foucault 192684 was a major figure in french poststructuralism, and he is also known to philosophers in the angloamerican tradition. This reading supports foucaults overall problematics of religion in terms of the political. The book also provides many helpful and meticulous oberservations about the iranian revolution and its historical antecedents. Foucault and the iranian revolution informs current discussion on the divisions that have reemerged among western intellectuals over the response to radical islamism after september 11. The reaction to foucaults reports and comments and the plight of woman in iran reflect foucaults blindness to the central political dangers. Battle of ain jalut, 1260 the battle that saved islam and stopped the mongols duration. Afary and anderson have provided an immense service by translating the relevant writings by foucault and, more significantly, his critics. Foucault and the iranian revolution by janet afary. Islamic revolution after the enlightenment behrooz ghamaritabrizi displays an impressively meticulous reading of michel foucaults writings on the events that preceded the overthrow of the pahlavi monarchy in early 1979. The iranian revolution and the universal transformation.
Request pdf on aug 22, 2006, sarah amsler and others published foucault and the iranian revolution. Foucault in iran is a courageous and thoughtprovoking invitation to understand the iranian revolution, and foucaults reaction to it, in an original way. Grassroots democracy, social democracy and the origins of feminism 1996. Foucault revisited the question of enlightenmentnotbecause of a late conversion to humanism but because his experience of the iranian revolution offered him a novel context to rethink it. Providing a rich dossier containing translations of foucault s relatively unknown writings on the iranian. His earlier work had shown a consistent though subtle affinity for the orient and the more traditional social norms of the east, as well as a messianic preoccupation with eastern thought. Islamic revolution after the enlightenment on jstor. Although some of its insights provide necessary contextual analysis, the authors unfortunately get carried away with imaginative.
A comment on foucault and the iranian revolution by kristian williams if we want to defeat fascism, we need to understand its attraction. Foucault and the iranian revolution provides an original and groundbreaking examination of foucault s writing on iran in the context of his intense interrogation of the differences between modern and traditional social orders. Comment on foucault and the iranian revolution threewayfight. Jun 20, 2005 during his littleknown stint as a journalist, foucault traveled to iran, met with leaders like ayatollah khomeini, and wrote a series of articles on the revolution. Ghamaritabrizis main objective involves rescuing foucault s ideas and responding to contemporary critiques, most specifically the one raised by. He traveled to iran in 1978 and wrote copiously on the revolution, espe cially the islamist wing of the movement, whose goal was to ground iranian cultural identity on an exclusionary religious foundation of shii islamic beliefs and prac. The iranian islamic revolution and foucault youtube. Intellectual visions and harsh political reality do not always sit together, and the potential for serious errors of judgment increases when traditional. Foucault and the iranian revolution is the first booklength analysis of these essays on iran, the majority of which have never before appeared in english.
Was foucault wrong about the islamic revolution in iran or did he find an. In the following unedited notes i have tried to spell out what i believe to be the reasons for foucault s fascination with the iranian islamic revolution. Paulmichel foucault was born on 15 october 1926 in the city of poitiers, westcentral france, as the second of three children in a prosperous and socially conservative uppermiddleclass family. Sign up for email notification of new releases in your field. Foucault and epicureanism of the iranian revolution irannamag. Revisiting foucault and the iranian revolution new politics. Janet afary and kevin andersons foucault and the iranian revolution is. This appears as the appendix 179277, but the volume also contains a critical evaluation of foucault s stance on the islamic revolution, and this appears first 1177. Foucault, the iranian revolution, and the politics of. These writings, published in 197879 in french and italian newspapers and journals, celebrate the islamic revolution as an. Given the revolutions bloody aftermath and its violent theocratic development, is foucaults iranian expedition simply to be understood as hamartia, a critical. This appears as the appendix 179277, but the volume also contains a critical evaluation of foucaults stance on the islamic revolution, and this appears first 1177. Foucault, iran and revolution i have always found the notion of foucault s seduction to islamism or iranian revolution as ludicrous. The most significant achievement of foucault and the iranian revolution is, in fact, collecting and translating all of foucaults writings on iran into english.
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