Idea
The text presents the events of September 11 as a moment that exposed old divisions in the religious and political sphere, and revealed the presence of closed identities nourished by fear and hostility. The issue is not understood as an isolated incident, but as a mirror of a long history of closure. The event thus becomes a sign of a broader crisis in the way the self and the other are represented.
Concise Formulation
The events of September 11 revealed a legacy of religious and political divisions and lethal identities
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim serves to connect contemporary history with the deeper structure of the conflicts addressed by the book. It uses the famous event not as an explanatory endpoint, but as an occasion to show what had already been latent. In this sense, it is integrated into the broader argument that major crises reveal what has accumulated in concepts, boundaries, and identities.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in helping read September 11 outside of a hurried or emotional interpretation. It invites the event to be seen as a symptom of a long crisis in representing difference and coexistence. From here, the entry acquires particular value for understanding Arkoun’s interest in the history of divisions rather than in immediate events alone.
Brief Evidence
The text presents the events of September 11 as a moment that exposed old divisions in the religious and political sphere. It also revealed the presence of closed identities nourished by fear and hostility. The issue is not understood as an isolated incident, but as a mirror of a long history of closure. The event thus becomes a sign of a broader crisis in the representation of the self and the other.
Reading Questions
- What makes it a text that reveals a legacy of divisions rather than merely a political event?
- How does the text connect closed identity to violence in the religious and political sphere?
Documentation Status
Needs editorial review.