Formulation of the Claim
Arkoun calls for caution toward preconceived definitions of religion and society.
Explanation
Arkoun holds that beginning with ready-made definitions obscures the diversity of the historical and actual manifestations of religion and society. He therefore prefers an approach that captures what appears in reality rather than imposing prior molds upon it.
Within this horizon, the aim is not to fix a final definition, but to keep inquiry open to transformations and contexts. Meaning is determined by what research reveals in the facts, not by what preconceived propositions impose.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom falls within Arkoun’s critique of approaches that rush to encompass religion and society through closed definitional boundaries. It is close to his call to describe phenomena in their historical and social manifestations, which makes understanding more closely tied to reality and less subject to abstraction.
Limits of the Claim
This atom does not mean rejecting definition altogether or dispensing with it entirely, nor does it mean that every definition is wrong. What is meant is a reservation toward definitions that precede research and prevent one from seeing complexity.