The Idea
The text says that contemporary Islamic societies live in a rupture from European modernity. What is meant is not merely chronological delay, but the absence of an effective connection to an epistemic, empirical, and legislative field that took shape in modern Europe. This rupture makes the relationship to modernity external or strained, not one of participation or critical appropriation.
Concise Formulation
Contemporary Islamic societies: cut off from European modernity
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim appears within an argument that depicts a dual crisis: rupture from modernity on the one hand, and another rupture from the creative ancient heritage on the other. Thus the problem is not understood as a single deficiency, but as the loss of two points of reference at once. For that reason, the statement helps build an image of a historical and cultural crisis deeper than mere political lag.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in explaining why questions of modernization in this project seem both urgent and difficult. The problem is not the absence of ready-made solutions, but the rupture of the tools needed to interact with two different worlds. This illuminates Arkoun’s view of Islamic societies as needing a dual epistemic reconnection, not a superficial importation of modernity.
Brief Evidence
The text says that contemporary Islamic societies live in a rupture from European modernity. What is meant is not merely chronological delay, but the absence of an effective connection to an epistemic, empirical, and legislative field that took shape in modern Europe. Accordingly, the relationship to modernity appears external or strained, not one of participation in it or critical assimilation of it.
Reading Questions
- What does rupture from modernity mean: rejection, lack of appropriation, or misunderstanding?
- How is this rupture related to the question of reform in the book?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location within the book’s material.