The Idea
The text calls for the establishment of major universities for the social sciences in strategic cities, suggesting that knowledge is not a secondary matter but part of building the future. The idea here is that the social sciences need strong institutions and a clear public standing so that they can study society and its transformations and offer a broader horizon for understanding and debate.
Concise Formulation
The text calls for: the establishment of major universities for the social sciences in strategic cities
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim serves the book’s argument by shifting attention from abstract criticism to the conditions for producing knowledge. The call for major institutions in influential cities means that Arkoun does not separate intellectual renewal from the educational infrastructure that sustains it. The statement therefore appears as a structural element in a project that links science with society, not with the elite alone.
Why It Matters
The importance of this claim lies in showing that, from the text’s perspective, reform does not pass through ideas alone, but through the places that produce them. This is important for understanding Arkoun as someone concerned with the future of the humanities and social sciences, not only with intellectual disputation. The institution here is part of the meaning, not merely an administrative framework.
Brief Evidence Passage
The text calls for the establishment of major universities for the social sciences in strategic cities. This call suggests that knowledge is not a secondary matter, but part of building the future. It also indicates that the social sciences need strong institutions and a clear public standing in order to study society and its transformations.
Reading Questions
- Why does the text link the renewal of knowledge to the creation of major scientific institutions?
- What does this call reveal about Arkoun’s understanding of the role of the social sciences in society?
Documentation Level
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book material.