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Abstract

The discussion of Arab critical theory resurfaces an unresolved debate concerning the means of realizing this intellectual project. Should we confine ourselves to exploring our heritage in search of the knowledge and methods that would enable us to build this scientific edifice in a way that respects our cultural specificities and preserves our authentic identity? Or does keeping pace with today’s civilizational and intellectual development require us to move beyond imitation and embrace the innovations of scientific and critical thought in order to produce theoretical and methodological frameworks that meet our aspirations? The first stance faces several challenges, foremost among them the following hermeneutic question: can we truly reflect on and understand the past—our heritage—independently of contemporary questions and today’s challenges in cultural development? And if we assume it is possible to begin from the questions of the past to interpret our heritage, would we not risk falling into the trap of imitation, repetition, and self-alienation? The second stance, in turn, overlooks one of the essential sources of human thought: the Arab-Islamic heritage, which played a vital role in the rise of the West across various domains, particularly in science. In light of these two perspectives, a third approach emerges—one that regards self-isolation and excessive openness to the other as two sides of the same coin. Neither produces genuine scientific knowledge; rather, both lead to a false kind of knowledge driven by unscientific attitudes and ideological biases. The path to true scholarship and the establishment of a critical epistemology thus requires a flexible openness to universal culture—whether ancient or modern, Arab or Western. Such openness can only be effective if its goal is to deduce rules, develop mechanisms, and test standards that can prove their procedural efficiency in the rigorous scientific examination of critical and theoretical achievements.

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