Formulation of the Claim
Arkoun calls for moving beyond traditional ijtihad toward a modern critique of Islamic reason.
Explanation
Arkoun sees traditional ijtihad as no longer sufficient for understanding the religious phenomenon in its historical and epistemological complexity. He therefore posits the need for a critique of Islamic reason as a broader entry point than ijtihad, and this is associated in his thought with a human theological-anthropological formulation of revelation.
For him, this shift is not merely a change in tool, but a transition in the angle from which religion and knowledge are viewed together. He links the understanding of texts and religious representations to a re-examination of the mental structure that produced prevailing modes of understanding.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom appears within the trajectory that distinguishes between the continuation of ijtihad in its traditional form and the need for a deeper interrogation of the reason operating within Islamic culture. It is connected to Arkoun’s broader thesis in the book, where merely repairing partial understanding is not enough; rather, a critical horizon is needed that reconsiders the conditions under which religious meaning is produced.
Limits of the Claim
This call does not mean denying the value of ijtihad in principle, nor does it offer a ready-made, closed alternative to everything that came before it. Nor should it be taken as a final judgment on the entire tradition; it turns more toward critiquing the mechanisms of understanding than abolishing the object of understanding itself.
Brief Evidence
Traditional ijtihad is no longer sufficient to confront the complexity of the religious phenomenon in history and knowledge. Arkoun therefore calls for a critique of Islamic reason as a horizon broader than customary juristic ijtihad. He sees this critique as opening the way toward a new humanistic and theological reading of revelation.
Related Links
- Arkoun