The Idea
The text argues that the world, after the collapse of bipolarity, entered a phase governed more by power than by rules or older balances. In this context, the rise of al-Qaeda does not appear as an isolated event, but as part of a new global climate that rearranged the meaning of conflict. The major change is not the emergence of a single actor, but the language through which the world now came to be understood.
Condensed Formulation
The world after the collapse of bipolarity: governed by the ideology of power
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim situates September 11 and what was associated with it within a broader international backdrop. The book connects the rise of a single dominant power with the birth of new forms of tension and symbolic and political violence. In this way, it explains the armed group not only from within itself, but within a world system that redefined power, the enemy, and the threat.
Why It Matters
The importance of this statement lies in the fact that it prevents Arkoun from being reduced to a narrowly local or religious reading. For him, the issue is tied to the structure of the world after the Cold War, not to a single group or a single incident. This shows that his critique is directed toward the larger conditions that allow violence to take one form or another.
Brief Evidence
After the collapse of bipolarity and the rise of the United States as the sole power The text links the rise of bin Laden/al-Qaeda to a global shift after the collapse of bipolarity
Reading Questions
- How does a change in the global balance of power affect the emergence of new forms of violence?
- Why is it not enough to explain the phenomenon from within, without considering the international context?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.