The Civilizational Construction of the Arab- Muslim Nation: Foundations and Opportunities
This study provides concise definitions of civilization and its components, and reviews several intellectual models of civilizational construction. Its aim is to explore the cultural identity of the Arab and Islamic nations and their potential for civilizational revival. It considers the Arab current state of absence and backwardness compared to other civilizations.
The study aims to identify the conditions and foundations necessary for a balanced and integrated civilizational vision from an Islamic perspective, drawing on Western thought's foundations of enlightenment, modernity, and cultural globalization. The study, through its analysis, achieves this aim by examining literature on the history of civilizations, the philosophy of history, and civilizational cycles.
The problem this study addresses is the extent to which Arab-Islamic thought recognizes the significant opportunities to present a modern and advanced civilization that serves all of humanity.
Methodologically, the study employs a descriptive, historical, and comparative methodology to examine the intellectual foundations of both Islamic and Western civilizations.
The study argues that the Arab Spring of 2010, Western policies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the Russian-Ukrainian war, the October 7th in Gaza, the Israeli war of annihilation on the Gaza Strip, and many other crises have revealed profound transformations reflecting a civilizational crisis within Western thought.
This revelation expresses itself in terms of the "end of history" thesis, liquid modernity, the globalization of markets, the nuclear threat, and the dangers of climate change, or in terms of the social crisis embodied in the relativism of moral and social standards.
Moreover, the study argues over the starting point for civilizational transformation. Many approaches are the most significant, including 1) understanding one's historical position and unique characteristics,2) building a strategy for civilizational advancement that relies on human development and sustainable growth through several models, such as education and scientific reform, as well as political unity among the components of the nation and its constituent states.
As such, the study's findings offer significant opportunities for the Arab-Islamic world to forge its own modern, advanced civilizational model.
In the end, the study concludes that the primary condition for civilizational revival is recognizing the current historical moment to construct a project of advancement.
The study aims to identify the conditions and foundations necessary for a balanced and integrated civilizational vision from an Islamic perspective, drawing on Western thought's foundations of enlightenment, modernity, and cultural globalization. The study, through its analysis, achieves this aim by examining literature on the history of civilizations, the philosophy of history, and civilizational cycles.
The problem this study addresses is the extent to which Arab-Islamic thought recognizes the significant opportunities to present a modern and advanced civilization that serves all of humanity.
Methodologically, the study employs a descriptive, historical, and comparative methodology to examine the intellectual foundations of both Islamic and Western civilizations.
The study argues that the Arab Spring of 2010, Western policies in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the Russian-Ukrainian war, the October 7th in Gaza, the Israeli war of annihilation on the Gaza Strip, and many other crises have revealed profound transformations reflecting a civilizational crisis within Western thought.
This revelation expresses itself in terms of the "end of history" thesis, liquid modernity, the globalization of markets, the nuclear threat, and the dangers of climate change, or in terms of the social crisis embodied in the relativism of moral and social standards.
Moreover, the study argues over the starting point for civilizational transformation. Many approaches are the most significant, including 1) understanding one's historical position and unique characteristics,2) building a strategy for civilizational advancement that relies on human development and sustainable growth through several models, such as education and scientific reform, as well as political unity among the components of the nation and its constituent states.
As such, the study's findings offer significant opportunities for the Arab-Islamic world to forge its own modern, advanced civilizational model.
In the end, the study concludes that the primary condition for civilizational revival is recognizing the current historical moment to construct a project of advancement.
Keywords:: Civilizational particularity, modernity, cultural hegemony, normative identity, civilizational development, civilizational revival, civilizational opportunities, Islamic civilization.
