The Idea
The text states that reason in modern Western societies has once again become interested in what is irrational. What is meant is that reason no longer limits itself to confidence in strict explanation and methodological certainty; instead, it has begun to turn toward the realms of mystery, desire, and symbol. This observation does not glorify the irrational, but it does point out that modern culture itself does not proceed along a straight line of pure rationality.
Concise Formulation
Reason in modern Western societies: returns to an interest in the irrational
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
The significance of this idea in the argument is that it broadens the horizon of comparison between the West and other societies. Rather than portraying modern reason as a pure block of Enlightenment, the text reveals its internal complexity. This serves the book when it discusses the relationship between religion and reason, because it prevents the construction of a simplistic picture that makes one side entirely rational and the other entirely irrational.
Why It Matters
The importance of this claim is that it breaks with ready-made images of Western modernity. It reminds us that reason itself changes and reconsiders its limits. For understanding Arkoun, this helps avoid superficial comparisons between Islam and the West, and makes the discussion of reason and religion more precise and balanced.
Brief Evidence
The text notes in modern Western societies a renewed interest in what is irrational. What is meant is that reason no longer limits itself to confidence in strict explanation and methodological certainty; instead, it has begun to turn toward the realms of mystery, desire, and symbol. This observation does not glorify the irrational, but it does point out that modern culture itself does not proceed along a straight line of pure rationality.
Reading Questions
- What does it mean for modern reason to take an interest in the irrational?
- How does this observation affect the image of modernity within the book?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.