Formulation of the Claim
Arkoun holds that the Qur’an links sensory perception to affective consciousness in a distinctive way within its discursive construction.
Explanation
For him, this relation does not appear as a passing detail in Qur’anic language, but as part of the way the text works upon meaning. Reception does not stop at the limits of sensing what is said; it extends to its effect on consciousness, emotion, and response.
This means that Qur’anic discourse does not merely convey religious content; rather, it shapes a connection between what is perceived by the senses and what becomes rooted in affective consciousness. From here, the relation between sense and consciousness becomes one of the features that gives the discourse its specificity in Arkoun’s view.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom falls within the book’s concern with how meaning is formed in Qur’anic discourse, and how the text works upon the recipient’s perception not only at the level of mental understanding, but also at the level of affective experience. It comes close to Arkoun’s broader theses, which read foundational texts as spaces of meaning and effect, not merely as vessels of information.
Limits of the Claim
This atom should not be made to bear a comprehensive judgment on all aspects of Qur’anic discourse, nor reduced to a purely psychological interpretation. It points to a feature in the mode of reception and semantic construction, not to a denial of the text’s other dimensions or functions.
Brief Evidence Passage
When Arkoun speaks of sensory perception and affective consciousness, he does not sharply separate them in reading the Qur’anic text. Qur’anic discourse does not address the intellect alone; rather, it touches perception, emotion, and response all at once. Therefore, understanding the text is not limited to analyzing its words and meanings, but extends to its effect on affective consciousness. This is what makes the relation between the sensory and the affective part of the structure of the discourse itself.
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