Idea
The text says that Arkoun’s objection to Durkheim should not be understood as a rejection of the idea of development itself. What is meant is the distinction between benefiting from modern transformations and accepting all their effects as they are. Thus, the critique appears here as an attempt at balance: accepting historical change, while cautioning that human beings cannot be reduced to a single social dimension.
Concise Formulation
Arkoun’s critique of Durkheim does not mean rejecting development
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim appears in a section that explains the limits of drawing on Western thought within Arkoun’s project. He does not offer a wholesale rejection, but rather specifies what can be taken and what should be treated with reserve. In this way, it serves the book’s overall argument, which presents Arkoun as a critic who selectively adopts modern methodologies without abandoning the question of value and spirituality.
Why It Matters
The importance of this statement lies in the fact that it prevents reading Arkoun as someone who rejects modernity in principle. It also helps show that his critique is not a defensive stance, but an attempt to build a broader understanding of human beings, religion, and history. This clarifies that his project moves between accepting scientific inquiry and caution toward reducing meaning.
Brief Evidence
Arkoun makes clear that his critique of Durkheim, or his discussion of secularization, does not mean rejecting development. Rather, the point is to distinguish between benefiting from modern transformations and accepting all their effects as they are. His critique thus appears as an attempt to strike a balance between accepting historical change and warning that human beings cannot be reduced to a single social dimension.
Reading Questions
- How does the text distinguish between criticizing some results of development and rejecting development itself?
- What does the text connect between taking up modern achievements and preserving the spiritual dimension?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear place in the book’s material.