The Idea
This idea argues that the gap between the Islamic world and the West is not a passing event, but a long historical process that began to widen in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The point here is that the tension should not be understood only as an immediate political or religious dispute, but as the result of extended accumulations that changed the conditions of encounter between the two sides.
Concise Formulation
The historical divide between the world of Islam and the West: it has widened since the sixteenth century
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This idea serves to block a superficial reading that reduces the conflict to a single moment or a single crisis. It supports the book’s argument that understanding the relationship between Islam and the West requires a broad historical perspective, because major shifts in power, knowledge, and mutual perception created the distance over centuries, not in a short span of time.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in its invitation to the reader to set aside quick explanations. If the gap widened over centuries, then any attempt to understand Arkoun’s perspective must begin with long history rather than immediate impressions. This makes clear why he rejects attributing everything to a passing misunderstanding.
Brief Evidence
The text affirms the widening of the historical gap between the world of Islam and the West since the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The point is that the divide should not be understood as merely an immediate dispute, but as the result of a long process of accumulations. These accumulations changed the conditions of encounter between the two sides.
Reading Questions
- How does a long historical perspective change the way the relationship between Islam and the West is understood?
- What does the reader lose if this relationship is read as only a modern crisis?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location within the book’s material.