Horizons of Freedom in the Sphere of History

The book “Horizons of Freedom in the Sphere of History” by Hamed Zare is a dialogue with Dr. Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of political science at the University of Tehran and a prominent intellectual figure in Iran. This book examines the contemporary history of Iranian intellectualism, its ups and downs, and the intellectual deadlocks of this movement. It analyzes key topics related to both religious and non-religious intellectualism. Zare and Zibakalam emphasize in this dialogue that religious intellectualism in Iran has reached a “dead end” due to its failure to align with social and political developments. On the other hand, non-religious intellectualism has not been able to move beyond old frameworks such as Marxism and the general opposition to the West. In fact, this analysis, by pointing to the backwardness of humanities in Iran, explains why the country’s intellectual discourse remains trapped in paradigms from 60 to 70 years ago. This dialogue includes a historical review of the role of intellectuals in contemporary Iranian developments. Zibakalam, drawing on his personal experience from studying in Europe and engaging with Marxist ideas to his political activities before and after the revolution, provides a critical analysis of the performance of intellectuals. He especially notes the inability of this movement to offer practical solutions to society’s problems. In one section, Zibakalam compares religious and secular intellectualism and finds both ineffective when confronting concepts such as freedom, democracy, and modernity. These critiques are supported by numerous historical examples, including the influence on intellectuals by imported ideas without consideration of Iran’s cultural context. Another key focus of the book is the analysis of the reasons for the weakness of humanities in Iran. Zibakalam believes that this backwardness is due not only to political constraints but also to a lack of internal criticism and the repetition of old debates. He stresses that instead of addressing current issues, intellectuals are engaged in repetitive theoretical disputes. Overall, this work is not only useful for researchers of political science and contemporary history but will also be engaging for the general public interested in understanding the relationship between intellectuals and social transformations in Iran.