The Meaning of the Concept in This Book
This concept represents the core of Arkoun’s effort to liberate Islamic thought from rigidity and violence. It does not stop at theoretical argumentation, but links emancipation to historical inquiry, epistemological deconstruction, and the modern sciences.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
The critique of Islamic reason appears here as an entry point for understanding the way Arkoun himself operates: he is a researcher-thinker, not a professional philosopher, and he turns modern tools into a critical project. The concept is therefore tied to applied Islamology, and to the idea that the project of critiquing Islamic reason begins from history rather than from prejudice.
How It Works Within the Atlas
Within the atlas, this concept forms a point of connection between several paths: critique of reason, text and history, and the reading project that reorders the relationship between tradition and modern knowledge. It shows how Arkoun moves from diagnosing closure to building a critical tool through which texts, experiences, and intellectual formations within Islam can be read.