The Idea
This statement indicates that the delay of the Qur’anic Encyclopedia project is not merely an administrative or technical lag, but a sign of a deeper disparity in the conditions of knowledge between the West and the Arab-Islamic world. The issue here concerns the research environment, the degree of accumulated tools and methods, and the historical distance separating societies that produce knowledge from societies that receive much of it.
Concise Formulation
The delay of the Qur’anic Encyclopedia project expresses a historical and epistemological disparity
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim occupies its place in the argument as a concrete example of the unequal conditions of knowledge production. It is therefore not used to lament the delay in itself, but to highlight that intellectual work unfolds within an unequal history. In this way, the book supports its idea of the epistemological gap as part of cultural reality, not merely a passing symptom.
Why It Matters
The importance of this statement lies in the fact that it transforms delay from an organizational observation into an interpretive sign. It helps the reader understand why Arkoun insists on linking knowledge to its history and its conditions, rather than considering it in isolation. It also reveals that for him the question of knowledge is also a historical and civilizational question.
Reading Questions
- Why is delay here considered an indicator of disparity in the conditions of knowledge rather than a weakness in a particular project?
- How does this statement connect knowledge to the historical environment that produces it?
Level of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.