The Idea
This idea assumes that modernity did not enter cultural history without a cost, but rather created a rupture in the continuity of tradition. The meaning here is not a rejection of modernity, but a warning that it changed the conditions under which knowledge, symbols, and values are transmitted. Tradition therefore appears not as a fixed mass, but as a chain that has undergone disconnection and reconfiguration under the pressure of modern transformations.
Concise Formulation
Modernity: created: a rupture in the chain of tradition
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim takes its place within the argument that seeks to examine the relationship between tradition and modernity without oversimplification. The book does not present modernity as a complete solution, nor tradition as a safe refuge; rather, it places a historical tension between them that must be understood. From here, the rupture in tradition becomes a key point for explaining contemporary epistemic crises.
Why It Matters
This idea helps explain why dialogue between past and present is so difficult in many Arab contexts. It shows that the problem lies not merely in the presence of a strong tradition or an imported modernity, but in the broken connection between them. This illuminates a central aspect of Arkoun’s thought: critique does not begin with sanctification or rejection, but with understanding the rupture.
Brief Evidence
The text holds that modernity created a rupture in the chain of tradition. This does not mean rejecting modernity, but rather noting that it changed the conditions under which knowledge, symbols, and values are transmitted. Tradition therefore does not appear as a fixed mass, but as a chain that has been subject to disconnection and reconfiguration.
Reading Questions
- What does rupture mean here: loss of memory or a change in the conditions of transmission?
- How does acknowledging this rupture change the way we deal with tradition?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.