Lexington Books Mapping the Role of Intellectuals in Iranian Modern and Contemporary History

In Mapping the Role of Intellectuals in Iranian Modern and Contemporary History, Jahanbegloo and contributors examine the role of Iranian intellectuals in the history of Iranian modernity. They trace the contributions of intellectuals in the construction of national identity and the Iranian democratic debate, analyzing how intellectuals balanced indebtedness to the West with the issue of national identity in Iran. Recognizing how intellectual elites became beholden to political powers, the contributors demonstrate the trend that intellectuals often opted for cultural dissent rather than ideological politics. Review "Mapping the Role of Intellectuals in Iranian Modern and Contemporary History is the most comprehensive and detailed history of intellectuals and their struggle in Iran for the past three centuries. What makes this book stand out from previous works is that it represents diverse voices from a broad political and ideological spectrum. Dr. Ramin Jahanbegloo must be congratulated for this very important book on country which eludes the West (or on a country whose world-view is little understood)."--Touraj Daryaee, University of California, IrvineIran's encounter with modernity has produced a variety of responses from Iranian intellectuals. Like other countries in the Middle East, these thinkers sought to balance the need for cultural change and adaptation with the need to maintain and construct an authentic national identity. This volume brings together several of the most distinguished Iranian Studies scholars to interpret and analyze this topic. Brilliantly edited by Ramin Jahanbegloo, these chapters are an invaluable contribution to the field of Iranian and Middle East studies. A must-read book that no serious student of Iranian intellectuals and Iran's troubled engagement with modernity can afford to miss.--Nader Hashemi, University of Denver About the Author Ramin Jahanbegloo is executive director of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Nonviolence and Peace Studies and vice-dean of the School of Law at Jindal Global University.