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A History of the Arab Peoples
Despite the turmoil of Arab nationalism and fundamentalism, Middle Eastern wars, and oil crises, the history of the Arab world has been little known and poorly understood in the West. One reason may be that, for more than half a century, there has been no up-to-date single volume work that chronicles the story of Arab civilization - until now.
Albert Hourani, distinguished historian and interpreter, has written a masterwork, a panoramic view encompassing twelve centuries of Arab history and culture. He looks at all sides of this rich and venerable civilization: the beauty of the Alhambra and the great mosques, the importance attached to education, the achievements of Arab science - but also internal conflicts, wide-spread poverty, the role of women, and the contemporary Palestinian question.
576 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Albert Hourani
50 books157 followersHourani was born the son of immigrants from South Lebanon. He studied Philosophy, Politics, Economics and History (with an emphasis on international relations)at the Magdalen College in Oxford. He graduated first in his class in 1936. During World War II, he worked at the Royal Institute of International Affairs and in the office of the British Minister of State in Cairo. After the war he helped prepare the Arab case for the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry.
In 1948 he started teaching at Magdalen College, St. Antony's College, the start of an academic career which would last the rest of his life. He also taught at the American University of Beirut, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard, ending his academic career as Fellow of St. Antony's College and Reader in the History of the Modern Middle East at Oxford. Many of the academic historians we find in Universities all over the world today where his students.
As an adult, Hourani converted to Christianity. He married Christine Mary Odile Wegg-Prosser in 1955. He died in Oxford at the age of 77 and was buried at Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford.
In 1948 he started teaching at Magdalen College, St. Antony's College, the start of an academic career which would last the rest of his life. He also taught at the American University of Beirut, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard, ending his academic career as Fellow of St. Antony's College and Reader in the History of the Modern Middle East at Oxford. Many of the academic historians we find in Universities all over the world today where his students.
As an adult, Hourani converted to Christianity. He married Christine Mary Odile Wegg-Prosser in 1955. He died in Oxford at the age of 77 and was buried at Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford.
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September 17, 2018
For some reason unbeknownst to me I have a fascination with the history of the Middle East/Anatolia. From the Byzantines to the Ottomans I just find the history of the region of the people really interesting. I think it may be because there is such a unique mixing of people, cultures, and ideas in the region that more engaging to me than, say, Tudor England or Colonial America. This region has seen some of the greatest world empires, it is the birthplace of the major Monotheistic religions, and has exchanged hands innumerable times, resulting in a unique blending of cultures and peoples not seen anywhere else. I am not as well read or knowledgeable about the Arab portion of the story so I was eager to dive into this extensive book.
And extensive this book is. Hourani aims to provide the reader with a total understanding of how Arab (and later non-Arab Muslim) society was structured. From the early Arab tribesmen and (I kid you not) the type of poetry they created to cosmopolitan Damascus to the dry stretches of North Africa Hourani dives into the dynamics of how these societies operated and their relationship with the wider Arab speaking world. While this does get a bit dry at times (insert desert pun here) the reader gets an excellent window into how the people of the past lived.
For me the most illuminating part was all the interlocking interests that existed in the Arab speaking world. It wasn't as simple as the Shah/Caliph/King issuing an order and it being carried out, there were many layers of control, influence, and interests. For instance there is a pretty constant back and forth between the settled peoples of the land and the nomadic herdsman. Depending on political conditions (how strong or weak a central government was), the climate, and economic factors the settled folks might be dominant over the herdsman or the other way around. It was a relationship in constant flux and impacted the local balance of power.
Another fascinating relationship was between the religious leaders (the ulama) and secular authorities. On the one hand there were those who held that the religious and secular worlds should be separate ("In hell there is a valley uniquely reserved for 'ulama who visit kings.") while others who thought they could influence leaders and ensure that religious laws and customs were enforced in the land. Of course it didn't hurt that secular leaders would build and maintain mosques, endow religious colleges, and generally look to secure legitimacy from the religious leaders. This relationship, like all others across time, changed with the coming of modernity and the need for Arab states to modernize in the face of potential domination by the West.
I had also under appreciated the impact that the spread of Arab as a spoken language would have on societies. By conquering and holding such a vast stretch of land the initial Arab conquerors brought their language to a wider population and made it the official language of government. This also made it the unofficial language of trade across the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Sea as well as across the silk road trade routes. This common language and shared Islamic culture really helped facilitate long term trade and credit and drive the economic engine of the Arab world, which at the time far surpassed contemporary Western Christendom.
For me, though, the most compelling section dealt with how European powers came to dominate and occupy Arab states and how this dominance altered the traditional patterns of life in these states. Being conquered by unbelievers who were clearly organizationally, technologically, and economically more advanced than the Arab societies was a shock to those societies. One passage especially stood out to be regarding just how dominant the West had become economically:"British exports to the eastern Mediterranean countries increased 800% in value between 1815 and 1850; by that time beduin in the Syrian desert were wearing shirts made of Lancashire cotton."
The reaction to this dominance was a move by many states to emulate Western culture, from colleges, to governmental structures, to new economic relationships. As Western business interests expanded in these states, primarily driven by resource extraction and agricultural projects, there was a mixing of European migrants and the upper echelon of Arab speaking societies. This facilitated the further transfer of such Western ideas such as freedom, nationalism, and representative government to these states, but mixed with Islamic beliefs and sensibilities. While the base ideas were Western the Arab speaking states adapted them to their own history, circumstances, and culture.
All in all this was a very extensive and exhaustive examination and exploration of Arab speaking cultures from its beginning in the Arabian Desert through roughly 2002 (hence the New Afterward). If you are looking for an introductory book on Arab speaking and Islamic culture I would suggest Destiny Disrupted, it is a lot more accessible to a first time reader and shorter too. But if you are looking for a more complex and complete view, of Arab speaking societies and already have a pretty solid knowledge base of Islamic history, this is the book for you.
And extensive this book is. Hourani aims to provide the reader with a total understanding of how Arab (and later non-Arab Muslim) society was structured. From the early Arab tribesmen and (I kid you not) the type of poetry they created to cosmopolitan Damascus to the dry stretches of North Africa Hourani dives into the dynamics of how these societies operated and their relationship with the wider Arab speaking world. While this does get a bit dry at times (insert desert pun here) the reader gets an excellent window into how the people of the past lived.
For me the most illuminating part was all the interlocking interests that existed in the Arab speaking world. It wasn't as simple as the Shah/Caliph/King issuing an order and it being carried out, there were many layers of control, influence, and interests. For instance there is a pretty constant back and forth between the settled peoples of the land and the nomadic herdsman. Depending on political conditions (how strong or weak a central government was), the climate, and economic factors the settled folks might be dominant over the herdsman or the other way around. It was a relationship in constant flux and impacted the local balance of power.
Another fascinating relationship was between the religious leaders (the ulama) and secular authorities. On the one hand there were those who held that the religious and secular worlds should be separate ("In hell there is a valley uniquely reserved for 'ulama who visit kings.") while others who thought they could influence leaders and ensure that religious laws and customs were enforced in the land. Of course it didn't hurt that secular leaders would build and maintain mosques, endow religious colleges, and generally look to secure legitimacy from the religious leaders. This relationship, like all others across time, changed with the coming of modernity and the need for Arab states to modernize in the face of potential domination by the West.
I had also under appreciated the impact that the spread of Arab as a spoken language would have on societies. By conquering and holding such a vast stretch of land the initial Arab conquerors brought their language to a wider population and made it the official language of government. This also made it the unofficial language of trade across the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Sea as well as across the silk road trade routes. This common language and shared Islamic culture really helped facilitate long term trade and credit and drive the economic engine of the Arab world, which at the time far surpassed contemporary Western Christendom.
For me, though, the most compelling section dealt with how European powers came to dominate and occupy Arab states and how this dominance altered the traditional patterns of life in these states. Being conquered by unbelievers who were clearly organizationally, technologically, and economically more advanced than the Arab societies was a shock to those societies. One passage especially stood out to be regarding just how dominant the West had become economically:"British exports to the eastern Mediterranean countries increased 800% in value between 1815 and 1850; by that time beduin in the Syrian desert were wearing shirts made of Lancashire cotton."
The reaction to this dominance was a move by many states to emulate Western culture, from colleges, to governmental structures, to new economic relationships. As Western business interests expanded in these states, primarily driven by resource extraction and agricultural projects, there was a mixing of European migrants and the upper echelon of Arab speaking societies. This facilitated the further transfer of such Western ideas such as freedom, nationalism, and representative government to these states, but mixed with Islamic beliefs and sensibilities. While the base ideas were Western the Arab speaking states adapted them to their own history, circumstances, and culture.
All in all this was a very extensive and exhaustive examination and exploration of Arab speaking cultures from its beginning in the Arabian Desert through roughly 2002 (hence the New Afterward). If you are looking for an introductory book on Arab speaking and Islamic culture I would suggest Destiny Disrupted, it is a lot more accessible to a first time reader and shorter too. But if you are looking for a more complex and complete view, of Arab speaking societies and already have a pretty solid knowledge base of Islamic history, this is the book for you.
February 5, 2013
First, a preliminary comment warranted by any book of this size and magnitude, there is something overwhelming about engaging in the entire history of a people in one book. It was a feat that Hourani should have been proud of.
The book is jam-packed with information. It is fairly readable, considering the length, but Hourani accomplished the readability by not including any footnotes, only general references at the end of the book. This means, essentially, that none of his facts or statistics or anything can be checked, and it makes it extremely difficult to follow his line of research, and engage in one own's research from his book. It's not a massive drawback, given the ease with one can access information about a subject or topic, but it would have been nice to have been able to see where he drew certain statistics/facts from.
As far as content goes, Hourani does an excellent job of mitigating the potential pitfalls of attempting to cover such a vast topic. He does well encompassing a variety of aspects, including political and social movements, culture and literature, economics, etc. There are many aspects of this which leave the reader hanging, however. Often, a revolt or uprising is mentioned, with no context and no other information. It is simply given by name or, sometimes, not even named at all. Since he doesn't cite his source, you cannot often go back and figure it out without an enormously frustrating amount of time shooting in the dark on the internet.
One of the major drawbacks is his treatment of empire. He is far too lenient on the imperial powers, especially Britain (he seems to be harder on France, for whatever reason, perhaps because of his own location). The way his book presents empire, one imagines that the great imperial powers had their own interests, which they took care of, but were generally benevolent masters which simply made mistakes due to a lack of knowledge, bad choices, etc. I think, before engaging a book like this, one ought to read Michael Parenti's "Against Empire" or "The Face of Imperialism" just to have a primer on how imperialism works.
The next point, and this was a shock to me, Hourani completely whitewashes the 1948 Palestinian Nakba. He present it as, essentially, a war between two equal sides, in which the Zionist forces were better prepared and won the day. He mentions a few hundred thousand Palestinians become refugees, but doesn't mention any of the terror, the violence, the death brought about by Zionist policy, outlined, for instance, in Plan Dalet. I would suggest, as an antidote to this, one reads the alexipharmic book by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe titled "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine."
At any rate, if you want something to satisfy a basic desire to engage the Arab world, this is the book.
The book is jam-packed with information. It is fairly readable, considering the length, but Hourani accomplished the readability by not including any footnotes, only general references at the end of the book. This means, essentially, that none of his facts or statistics or anything can be checked, and it makes it extremely difficult to follow his line of research, and engage in one own's research from his book. It's not a massive drawback, given the ease with one can access information about a subject or topic, but it would have been nice to have been able to see where he drew certain statistics/facts from.
As far as content goes, Hourani does an excellent job of mitigating the potential pitfalls of attempting to cover such a vast topic. He does well encompassing a variety of aspects, including political and social movements, culture and literature, economics, etc. There are many aspects of this which leave the reader hanging, however. Often, a revolt or uprising is mentioned, with no context and no other information. It is simply given by name or, sometimes, not even named at all. Since he doesn't cite his source, you cannot often go back and figure it out without an enormously frustrating amount of time shooting in the dark on the internet.
One of the major drawbacks is his treatment of empire. He is far too lenient on the imperial powers, especially Britain (he seems to be harder on France, for whatever reason, perhaps because of his own location). The way his book presents empire, one imagines that the great imperial powers had their own interests, which they took care of, but were generally benevolent masters which simply made mistakes due to a lack of knowledge, bad choices, etc. I think, before engaging a book like this, one ought to read Michael Parenti's "Against Empire" or "The Face of Imperialism" just to have a primer on how imperialism works.
The next point, and this was a shock to me, Hourani completely whitewashes the 1948 Palestinian Nakba. He present it as, essentially, a war between two equal sides, in which the Zionist forces were better prepared and won the day. He mentions a few hundred thousand Palestinians become refugees, but doesn't mention any of the terror, the violence, the death brought about by Zionist policy, outlined, for instance, in Plan Dalet. I would suggest, as an antidote to this, one reads the alexipharmic book by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe titled "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine."
At any rate, if you want something to satisfy a basic desire to engage the Arab world, this is the book.
October 4, 2020
Starting with a biographical sketch of Ibn Khaldun, this History of the Arab Peoples starts with a brief description of the pre-Islamic era before through the caliphates, the Ottoman era, and "the age of European empires", concluding in 1990. The preface and afterword by Malise Ruthven from the more recent edition provide a biography of Hourani's own life and a summary of events up to the early 2010s, but much has happened since then.
This is primarily a book of social and cultural history, and concerns institutions or governing philosophers that have arisen from, or indeed reacted to, periods of instability. As a general reader, I found this was a useful guide to the region's history; a specialist may have a better response as to what Hourani chose to emphasize or leave out.
This is primarily a book of social and cultural history, and concerns institutions or governing philosophers that have arisen from, or indeed reacted to, periods of instability. As a general reader, I found this was a useful guide to the region's history; a specialist may have a better response as to what Hourani chose to emphasize or leave out.
June 8, 2011
مقدمة عامة ومختصرة جداً لتاريخ الامة العربية. استمعت تحديداً بتفاصيل القرن العشرين. المقدمة يعيبها البطء. مرجع ممتاز لمن يريد ان يتعلم اساسيات التاريخ العربي.
January 10, 2017
For those interested in a factual and well-written account of the history of the middle east, Hourani's History of the Arab Peoples is extraordinarily good. There is no political grandstanding here, just facts. It is absolutely fascinating to see how the tribes in which the Prophet Mohammed became a major military and cultural force in only a few centuries conquering northern Africa to Malaysia. You learn about the split between the shiites and sunnites, the spin offs such as the dervishes and the sufis, and the various dynasties that culminated in the Ottoman caliphate.
Given the current political context of lies, lies and damn lies, it is a critical read to get a true version of the history of the Arab peoples and a better understanding of historical Islam to better contextualise the current world situation.
Given the current political context of lies, lies and damn lies, it is a critical read to get a true version of the history of the Arab peoples and a better understanding of historical Islam to better contextualise the current world situation.
February 5, 2021
من الكتب القليلة من قراءاتي اللي أعطت نظرة شبه شاملة عن الحضارة العربية الإسلامية حتى التاريخ المعاصر
ولكن للكاتب تحيزاته وبعض اللغطات بس الكتاب جميل فعلا
ولكن للكاتب تحيزاته وبعض اللغطات بس الكتاب جميل فعلا
April 6, 2013
This is not a book for the faint of heart. To be honest, I stopped reading the book halfway through the section on the Ottoman Empire. It's huge, dry, oftentimes boring, but it gets the job done. This book lacks many of the exciting details usually covered in history, such as battles, wars, biographies, etc. However, whatever it lacks in excitement it totally makes up for in raw information. If you want to know how peasants in medieval Syria lived, bam! Here's your book. If you want to know the relationship between pastoral nomads, rural farmers, and urban craftsmen, here's your book. If you want to know about the roots of Sunnism and different schools of Islamic thought, this is your book.
If you're a normal human being who expects to get through this monster in a few days, you probably shouldn't read this book. I am a fan of Islamic history and this is too hardcore, even for me. However, I did feel like I left with a better understanding of medieval Islamic society. For example, many people think that people converted to Islam directly because of the Muslim conquests, but the majority of the people living in Muslim territories were actually non-Muslims. There was an intricate balance between the conquerors and the conquered. All in all, it was a peaceful balance. After all, these people were valuable as government administrators, and there were various other instances where non-Muslims were actually important. For example, Jews were crucial in the trade with Byzantium during a time when Byzantine-Arab relations were extremely sour. In a more humorous example, Muslims are not allowed to produce or consume alcohol, but oftentimes, they would secretly buy bottles from Christians, and this happened frequently, apparently. In truth, medieval Islam was an incredibly complex, cosmopolitan, multicultural, multi-faith society. It was surprisingly urban (especially compared to medieval Europe, perhaps even comparable to medieval China), and it produced many great cities. It connected the world by linking the Indian Ocean trade with the Mediterranean.
That's what I got out of this book. This is a book about people and their societies. It's almost anthropological in nature, as opposed to what you might expect from other conventional history books. If this is what you're looking for, by all means, check this book out, but if you're looking for something more exciting, look elsewhere.
If you do decided to read this, try to approach it like you would an encyclopedia. Read certain selections and skim through others. Take it out of your bookshelf whenever you might need to use it as reference. You will have to be brave to read this thing in one go.
If you're a normal human being who expects to get through this monster in a few days, you probably shouldn't read this book. I am a fan of Islamic history and this is too hardcore, even for me. However, I did feel like I left with a better understanding of medieval Islamic society. For example, many people think that people converted to Islam directly because of the Muslim conquests, but the majority of the people living in Muslim territories were actually non-Muslims. There was an intricate balance between the conquerors and the conquered. All in all, it was a peaceful balance. After all, these people were valuable as government administrators, and there were various other instances where non-Muslims were actually important. For example, Jews were crucial in the trade with Byzantium during a time when Byzantine-Arab relations were extremely sour. In a more humorous example, Muslims are not allowed to produce or consume alcohol, but oftentimes, they would secretly buy bottles from Christians, and this happened frequently, apparently. In truth, medieval Islam was an incredibly complex, cosmopolitan, multicultural, multi-faith society. It was surprisingly urban (especially compared to medieval Europe, perhaps even comparable to medieval China), and it produced many great cities. It connected the world by linking the Indian Ocean trade with the Mediterranean.
That's what I got out of this book. This is a book about people and their societies. It's almost anthropological in nature, as opposed to what you might expect from other conventional history books. If this is what you're looking for, by all means, check this book out, but if you're looking for something more exciting, look elsewhere.
If you do decided to read this, try to approach it like you would an encyclopedia. Read certain selections and skim through others. Take it out of your bookshelf whenever you might need to use it as reference. You will have to be brave to read this thing in one go.
March 12, 2016
تاريخ الشعوب العربية للباحث اللبناني البريطاني ألبرت حوراني .
لطالما كان تاريخ أمتنا وحضارتنا عرضة للتزوير والاستخدام لأغراض سياسية أو مذهبية. هذا الكتاب نتيجة بحث أكاديمي محايد يروي تاريخ هذه الحضارة منذ بدايتها مع ظهور الإسلام حتى العصر الحديث .
يتناول الكاتب أولا ظروف العصر التي جاء فيها دين الإسلام وثم يتناول تاريخ الرسالة الإسلامية وظروف المجتمع والسياسة والدين بالتفصيل. ثم نصل لمرحلة الدولة العثمانية وتاريخها ثم لعصر الاستعمار الاوروبي وفي النهاية للدول القومية الحديثة .
الكتاب يحتوي على تفاصيل دقيقة جدا ولا يغض النظر عن الشعوب وتطلعاتها وعن طرق حياة الناس وظهور المذاهب المختلفة كما يقوم بتحليل بعض الأحداث ويعرض وجهات النظر المختلفة. كل ذلك بأسلوب محايد وأكاديمي جميل .
أنصح به لكل شخص يريد أن يفهم أمته وحضارته. متوفر بصيغة الكتاب المقروء وكذلك باللغة العربية
لطالما كان تاريخ أمتنا وحضارتنا عرضة للتزوير والاستخدام لأغراض سياسية أو مذهبية. هذا الكتاب نتيجة بحث أكاديمي محايد يروي تاريخ هذه الحضارة منذ بدايتها مع ظهور الإسلام حتى العصر الحديث .
يتناول الكاتب أولا ظروف العصر التي جاء فيها دين الإسلام وثم يتناول تاريخ الرسالة الإسلامية وظروف المجتمع والسياسة والدين بالتفصيل. ثم نصل لمرحلة الدولة العثمانية وتاريخها ثم لعصر الاستعمار الاوروبي وفي النهاية للدول القومية الحديثة .
الكتاب يحتوي على تفاصيل دقيقة جدا ولا يغض النظر عن الشعوب وتطلعاتها وعن طرق حياة الناس وظهور المذاهب المختلفة كما يقوم بتحليل بعض الأحداث ويعرض وجهات النظر المختلفة. كل ذلك بأسلوب محايد وأكاديمي جميل .
أنصح به لكل شخص يريد أن يفهم أمته وحضارته. متوفر بصيغة الكتاب المقروء وكذلك باللغة العربية
September 25, 2017
More like 3.5
May 23, 2011
I believe this book was recommended by a secular Muslim friend who loaned me her copy. It was, remarkably, the first book about Arab history as a whole that I'd ever read and is designed for Anglo-Americans who aren't very familiar with Arab history.
October 16, 2021
O istorie exhaustiva a arabilor.
Religie , arhitectura, cultura, pozitia femeilor in societate, incepand putin inainte de emergenta islamului, pana in zilele noastre. 1400 de ani.
As incadra-o mai degraba in literatura academica, si subiectivismul meu i-a scazut o steluta doar pentru ca nu m-a prins foarte mult felul in care a fost scrisa.
Este mult mai elaborata si cuprinzatoare decat "Istoria Orientului Mijlociu" al lui Mansfield, care , desi retrospectiv este o prezentare politica a acestei regiuni, mi s-a parut mai interesant scrisa, si pe de alta parte, m-a ajutat sa inteleg mai usor evenimentele politice descrise de Hourani. Totusi , in privința evenimentelor ultimelor 200 de ani, si mai ales in privinta aparitiei statului Israel, Hourani mi s-a parut mai obiectiv decat Mansfield, desi amandoi au fost extrem de pasionati si atrasi de lumea araba.
Mi-a placut foarte mult partea in care este povestita cucerirea si islamizarea Peninsulei Iberice. Spania a fost la un moment dat aproape complet musulmana. Primul califat acolo, in Andaluzia ( nume dat dupa conducatorul arabilor Al Andaluz ) a realizat unele dintre cele mai frumoase moschei din lume, moschei pe care imi doresc si eu foarte mult sa ajung sa le vad.
Ce mi s-a mai parut interesant este legat de religie.
Am aflat si ce inseamna Islam .
"supunere in fata lui Dumnezeu"
Islamul incepe o data cu revelațiile arabului Mohammed in anii 600. Acestuia ii transmite Ingerul Gabriel cuvintele Domnului ( Coran).
Odata cu moartea Profetului, a apărut inevitabil intrebarea " cine ne conduce acum?" Si consecutiv scindarea treptata in cele 2 ramuri principale -shiiti si sunniti, prin prisma a doi noi poli de putere si dorinta de conducere. Ulterior au mai aparut si diverse secte, dar acestea nu au capatat nici putere , nici amploare semnificative. Factiunea shiita, predominanta in Persia/Iran a integrat mai multe elemente din religia zoroastriana, tocmai pentru a fi mai usor acceptata de populatie, si, la randul ei , populatia sa fie condusa mai usor.
Majoritatea conflictelor din Orientul Mijlociu au si astazi la baza conflictele religioase nu neaparat doar cu crestinismul, ci si ale shiitilor si sunnitilor intre ei, prin prisma felului in care a fost interpretat de invatati ( ulama) cuvantul Profetului.
Asemanator cu Evangheliile, nici Coranul nu a fost scris de Profet , ci initial transmis oral, a ajuns pe pagini mult mai tarziu.
Spre deosebire de Biblie ( cu o mica exceptie - Decalogul ) Coranul este vazut drept " cuvantul lui Dumnezeu" nu o poveste a poporului evreu si apoi o istorie a lui Iisus.
Cand citeam , ma gandeam cum a putut o persoana sa capete atata influenta asupra a jumatate din glob si ce i a facut pe oameni sa il creada pe cuvant ? Dar aceeasi intrebare pot sa o formulez si vis a vis de Iisus.
Raspandirea limbii arabe coincide de asemenea cu raspandirea islamului, cele doua par a fi legate indisolubil, deoarece " cuvantul lui Dumnezeu" nu poate fi tradus, ci citit doar asa cum a fost el auzit, in limba araba.
In orice caz, cartea este mult prea complexa , sa o pot reda in cateva propozitii.
In concluzie, aceasta este o istorie culturala si sociala foarte interesanta a popoarelor arabe , si desi eu am povestit mai degraba despre aspectul religios, cartea este foarte generoasa si in redarea curentelor laice si filosofice care au circulat in lumea musulmana, cat si a legaturilor stabilite, in acest sens, cu lumea nonmusulmana.
Religie , arhitectura, cultura, pozitia femeilor in societate, incepand putin inainte de emergenta islamului, pana in zilele noastre. 1400 de ani.
As incadra-o mai degraba in literatura academica, si subiectivismul meu i-a scazut o steluta doar pentru ca nu m-a prins foarte mult felul in care a fost scrisa.
Este mult mai elaborata si cuprinzatoare decat "Istoria Orientului Mijlociu" al lui Mansfield, care , desi retrospectiv este o prezentare politica a acestei regiuni, mi s-a parut mai interesant scrisa, si pe de alta parte, m-a ajutat sa inteleg mai usor evenimentele politice descrise de Hourani. Totusi , in privința evenimentelor ultimelor 200 de ani, si mai ales in privinta aparitiei statului Israel, Hourani mi s-a parut mai obiectiv decat Mansfield, desi amandoi au fost extrem de pasionati si atrasi de lumea araba.
Mi-a placut foarte mult partea in care este povestita cucerirea si islamizarea Peninsulei Iberice. Spania a fost la un moment dat aproape complet musulmana. Primul califat acolo, in Andaluzia ( nume dat dupa conducatorul arabilor Al Andaluz ) a realizat unele dintre cele mai frumoase moschei din lume, moschei pe care imi doresc si eu foarte mult sa ajung sa le vad.
Ce mi s-a mai parut interesant este legat de religie.
Am aflat si ce inseamna Islam .
"supunere in fata lui Dumnezeu"
Islamul incepe o data cu revelațiile arabului Mohammed in anii 600. Acestuia ii transmite Ingerul Gabriel cuvintele Domnului ( Coran).
Odata cu moartea Profetului, a apărut inevitabil intrebarea " cine ne conduce acum?" Si consecutiv scindarea treptata in cele 2 ramuri principale -shiiti si sunniti, prin prisma a doi noi poli de putere si dorinta de conducere. Ulterior au mai aparut si diverse secte, dar acestea nu au capatat nici putere , nici amploare semnificative. Factiunea shiita, predominanta in Persia/Iran a integrat mai multe elemente din religia zoroastriana, tocmai pentru a fi mai usor acceptata de populatie, si, la randul ei , populatia sa fie condusa mai usor.
Majoritatea conflictelor din Orientul Mijlociu au si astazi la baza conflictele religioase nu neaparat doar cu crestinismul, ci si ale shiitilor si sunnitilor intre ei, prin prisma felului in care a fost interpretat de invatati ( ulama) cuvantul Profetului.
Asemanator cu Evangheliile, nici Coranul nu a fost scris de Profet , ci initial transmis oral, a ajuns pe pagini mult mai tarziu.
Spre deosebire de Biblie ( cu o mica exceptie - Decalogul ) Coranul este vazut drept " cuvantul lui Dumnezeu" nu o poveste a poporului evreu si apoi o istorie a lui Iisus.
Cand citeam , ma gandeam cum a putut o persoana sa capete atata influenta asupra a jumatate din glob si ce i a facut pe oameni sa il creada pe cuvant ? Dar aceeasi intrebare pot sa o formulez si vis a vis de Iisus.
Raspandirea limbii arabe coincide de asemenea cu raspandirea islamului, cele doua par a fi legate indisolubil, deoarece " cuvantul lui Dumnezeu" nu poate fi tradus, ci citit doar asa cum a fost el auzit, in limba araba.
In orice caz, cartea este mult prea complexa , sa o pot reda in cateva propozitii.
In concluzie, aceasta este o istorie culturala si sociala foarte interesanta a popoarelor arabe , si desi eu am povestit mai degraba despre aspectul religios, cartea este foarte generoasa si in redarea curentelor laice si filosofice care au circulat in lumea musulmana, cat si a legaturilor stabilite, in acest sens, cu lumea nonmusulmana.
March 18, 2016
Hourani acknowledges the challenges of his narrative in that his focus could be both “too large or too small” (preface, xvii). It’s a complicated matter to communicate a culture and people that have been shaped so foundationally by a particular revelation and Prophet made even more complex by the fact that their part of the world has rich meaning and value on many levels for everyone else. On top of this, Orientalism has inserted itself into the English language quite effectively, as have many other racist prejudices that have become a core of our speech. It ultimately requires learning another language to truly understand, and I’m just now beginning that process myself. In addition to all this, Hourani was a Christian, not a Muslim, but his native language, Arabic, was of course so shaped by Islam that his tone gives a perspective of the non-Muslim that is unique in English histories.
As a point of departure, Hourani acknowledges the Muslim historian Khaldun as shaping the paradigm of his writing. Khaldun’s Muqaddima (Prolegomena) is next on my reading list, and in it (according to Hourani), Khaldun sees historical patterns in the form of rulers with exclusive authority of groups of followers possessing ‘asabiyya or a corporate spirit oriented towards obtaining and keeping power. This might likely occur from a sense of a common ancestry or ties of dependence reinforced by a common acceptance of a religion. On top of this, Khaldun believed that every ruling structure bore within itself the seeds of its own decline as power would ultimately corrupt one group and then pass to another group with this common core solidarity.
The point where religion and culture intersect is a complicated issue, particularly in a history of the Arabs. Islam as a faith is all-encompassing, much more so than Christianity-in-practice, and in the case of Islam, the Arabic language itself owes much of its present construction to linguistic methods and phrases derived from the Qur’an. To say that the Qur’an is in the very subconscious of Arabic speaking peoples would be true on multiple levels, spiritual or otherwise, no matter their beliefs regarding God. On top of this, to define Islam, or pin it down to one specific meaning, is laid out as close to impossible, yet this common identity with multiple manifestations also accounts for its longevity. Hourani sets up these ideas as a prelude to our current time, when all these foundations collide with modern day politics, economics, massive population growth and demand for resources to create a perfect storm of potential conflict in a part of the world that holds spiritual traditions and coveted material resources for most of the planet.
Reading a book like this shows how misguided it can be to reduce ideas concerning “Islam” or “Arabs” to simplistic perceptions based only on extremists. Violence that takes the form of religion is arguably rarely about religion. At base it’s much more likely based on some sort of struggle for survival, whether political or social. Religion in the end is symbolic for ultimate reality. It’s a language that expresses deeper ideas. Hourani’s history should be required reading for any English speaker, particularly this year in this US election cycle.
As a point of departure, Hourani acknowledges the Muslim historian Khaldun as shaping the paradigm of his writing. Khaldun’s Muqaddima (Prolegomena) is next on my reading list, and in it (according to Hourani), Khaldun sees historical patterns in the form of rulers with exclusive authority of groups of followers possessing ‘asabiyya or a corporate spirit oriented towards obtaining and keeping power. This might likely occur from a sense of a common ancestry or ties of dependence reinforced by a common acceptance of a religion. On top of this, Khaldun believed that every ruling structure bore within itself the seeds of its own decline as power would ultimately corrupt one group and then pass to another group with this common core solidarity.
The point where religion and culture intersect is a complicated issue, particularly in a history of the Arabs. Islam as a faith is all-encompassing, much more so than Christianity-in-practice, and in the case of Islam, the Arabic language itself owes much of its present construction to linguistic methods and phrases derived from the Qur’an. To say that the Qur’an is in the very subconscious of Arabic speaking peoples would be true on multiple levels, spiritual or otherwise, no matter their beliefs regarding God. On top of this, to define Islam, or pin it down to one specific meaning, is laid out as close to impossible, yet this common identity with multiple manifestations also accounts for its longevity. Hourani sets up these ideas as a prelude to our current time, when all these foundations collide with modern day politics, economics, massive population growth and demand for resources to create a perfect storm of potential conflict in a part of the world that holds spiritual traditions and coveted material resources for most of the planet.
Reading a book like this shows how misguided it can be to reduce ideas concerning “Islam” or “Arabs” to simplistic perceptions based only on extremists. Violence that takes the form of religion is arguably rarely about religion. At base it’s much more likely based on some sort of struggle for survival, whether political or social. Religion in the end is symbolic for ultimate reality. It’s a language that expresses deeper ideas. Hourani’s history should be required reading for any English speaker, particularly this year in this US election cycle.
July 26, 2017
I'm always impressed by scholars who can write these grand synthetic histories that draw together vast spans of time and space. In this case, the project is made all the more difficult because there is a long middle period in Arab history about which we know very little. Understandably, Hourani treats his starting point as the emergence of the school of thought that has become Islam – sources for any earlier period are patchy – but it also causes a problem in that the period covered by the 11th to the 15th centuries in the Christian calendar therefore seem flat, and a paucity of sources mean that Hourani must conjecture more than we usually do when writing history, and the section of the book reads like a historical ethnography. But to focus on this and the broader empiricist narrative is to miss a key point: Hourani has, in many ways, constructed a modern version of the kind of history outlined by the 14th century (AD, again – 8th century AH) Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun, and in doing so has written an ideologically disruptive history that places the Arab world at the centre of its own story. Agency lies with the Arab world with Europe (the usual centre of world histories) only appearing from time to time until the age of the great European empires.
This is a dense book in places – but then it does cover a large sweep of North Africa and West Asia over 1400 years in only 450 pages – but well worth it. And in this recent English edition the afterword by Malise Ruthven, written just before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is worth it for its prescience. Highly recommended.
This is a dense book in places – but then it does cover a large sweep of North Africa and West Asia over 1400 years in only 450 pages – but well worth it. And in this recent English edition the afterword by Malise Ruthven, written just before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is worth it for its prescience. Highly recommended.
August 22, 2018
Albert Hourani's A History of the Arab Peoples gives an excellent background how the peoples of the Arab world got from the days of Muhammad to 1991, the year the book was published. There are many additional chapters to be written after September 11, 2001; the US invasion of Iraq; the so-called Arab Spring; the Syrian Civil War; the advent of ISIS; the downfall of Qaddafi in Libya; and the movement of peoples from the Arab world en masse to Europe. These would be hard chapters to write, as we are still very much in the middle of all these events or of their repercussions.
The first half of the book is particularly valuable. The second half, which brings in the fall of the Ottoman Empire and an uncomfortable (for both sides) engagement with the Western World. It is difficult to see from where we stand today how all this will play out between the West and the Muslim peoples of the Middle east and North Africa.
There is a famous question that someone asked V I Lenin about what he thought, after the October Revolution, of the French Revolution. Lenin wisely answered, "It's still too early to tell." Likewise, it's way to early to make predictions about some of the central issues of world politics and demographics.
The first half of the book is particularly valuable. The second half, which brings in the fall of the Ottoman Empire and an uncomfortable (for both sides) engagement with the Western World. It is difficult to see from where we stand today how all this will play out between the West and the Muslim peoples of the Middle east and North Africa.
There is a famous question that someone asked V I Lenin about what he thought, after the October Revolution, of the French Revolution. Lenin wisely answered, "It's still too early to tell." Likewise, it's way to early to make predictions about some of the central issues of world politics and demographics.
May 17, 2014
An outstanding and thought-provoking book with some scarily accurate thoughts on how the situation in the Middle East might develop. The afterword by Malise Ruthven in 2002 discusses how the issues raised by Hourani's book have developed since his death a decade earlier and of course so much has happened since even that was written.
I found this a fascinating and highly readable work, with a wide-ranging investigation into the history of so many nation states and political and religious factions. I enjoyed it even more than John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy, mainly because it continues into this century and offers a perspective on events such as the Suez crisis, the assassination of Sadat and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This may be a scholarly book, but it is anything but dry to read and it offers a wealth of information and insight into how the Middle East came to be as it is. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area.
I found this a fascinating and highly readable work, with a wide-ranging investigation into the history of so many nation states and political and religious factions. I enjoyed it even more than John Julius Norwich's Byzantium trilogy, mainly because it continues into this century and offers a perspective on events such as the Suez crisis, the assassination of Sadat and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This may be a scholarly book, but it is anything but dry to read and it offers a wealth of information and insight into how the Middle East came to be as it is. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area.
May 19, 2020
Un livre global qui couvre plusieurs aspects de l'histoire des peuples arabes, de la culture a l'économie, du politique au religieux. Je pense que c'est un livre indispensable mais certes insuffisant pour comprendre l'évolution de la chacune des sociétés arabes.
August 13, 2022
This book gives you exactly what it says it will: A History of the Arab Peoples. It reads like a academic historical textbook with subsections organizing chapters (and I’ve actually seen it used as the official textbook of Arab History courses in university).
Given the nature of this book, one might not find it ‘gripping’ if you’re looking for a light read. This book took me forever to finish just because it was so dense with information and took a lot of energy for me to read.
Nonetheless, Albert Hourani is a brilliant researcher and writer. He includes beautiful excerpts in his historical accounts which I as a Muslim not only enjoyed but learned from. They were like the little candies placed on pages as you read them to motivate you to get to that part.
The Albert Hourani book award was actually established in appraisal for his work as a teacher, writer and mentor. The award is given to recognize outstanding work in Middle Eastern studies, and after reading this book, I think ‘yeah. of course he should have an award named after him!’
Given the nature of this book, one might not find it ‘gripping’ if you’re looking for a light read. This book took me forever to finish just because it was so dense with information and took a lot of energy for me to read.
Nonetheless, Albert Hourani is a brilliant researcher and writer. He includes beautiful excerpts in his historical accounts which I as a Muslim not only enjoyed but learned from. They were like the little candies placed on pages as you read them to motivate you to get to that part.
The Albert Hourani book award was actually established in appraisal for his work as a teacher, writer and mentor. The award is given to recognize outstanding work in Middle Eastern studies, and after reading this book, I think ‘yeah. of course he should have an award named after him!’
Read
August 5, 2018Some good insights here and there but it's ultimately a shallow work. The problem is in the title. The author never defines "Arab peoples" and what transpires is a shallow account of Islamic history in the Levant, Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, or roughly the area of Arab speaking peoples. Perhaps it seems to me that the "Arab" character is artificial and conceals more than it illuminates about 1500 years of history, even if the Arab conquests and the Arab language's importance in Islam is taken into account.
May 24, 2020
Lumea araba este un labirint.
Fascinanta, exotica, paradoxala, infricosatoare.
Candva atotstapanitori, apoi stapaniti, arabii isi cauta identitatea incercand sa se confunde cu Mahomed.
Nu-i poti intelege, pesemne, decat daca traiesti intre ei.
Pentru ca citind despre ei raman prea multe intrebari la care europeanul de rand nu gaseste raspunsuri.
Fascinanta, exotica, paradoxala, infricosatoare.
Candva atotstapanitori, apoi stapaniti, arabii isi cauta identitatea incercand sa se confunde cu Mahomed.
Nu-i poti intelege, pesemne, decat daca traiesti intre ei.
Pentru ca citind despre ei raman prea multe intrebari la care europeanul de rand nu gaseste raspunsuri.
June 15, 2023
A Solid Overview, but Lacks Depth
Albert Hourani's A History of the Arab Peoples offers a comprehensive overview of the Arab world, spanning from pre-Islamic times to the 20th century. While it serves as a decent introduction to the subject, the book falls short in providing a deeper understanding of the complexities within Arab history.
Hourani's writing style is clear and accessible, making it easy for readers with limited prior knowledge to grasp the broad historical narrative. The book covers a wide range of topics, including religion, politics, culture, and social dynamics, which helps to paint a holistic picture of the Arab peoples.
However, the book's main drawback is its lack of in-depth analysis and nuanced exploration of key historical events and figures. Hourani's treatment of certain periods feels rushed, and important events are sometimes glossed over without sufficient context. As a result, readers seeking a more profound understanding of specific periods or regions might be left wanting.
Additionally, the book's focus on political and intellectual history often neglects the experiences of everyday Arab individuals, giving a somewhat top-down perspective. It would have been beneficial to include more personal stories and anecdotes to make the narrative more engaging and relatable.
Despite these shortcomings, A History of the Arab Peoples remains a valuable starting point for those interested in gaining a general understanding of Arab history. Readers looking for a more detailed and nuanced examination, however, may need to supplement their reading with additional sources.
Albert Hourani's A History of the Arab Peoples offers a comprehensive overview of the Arab world, spanning from pre-Islamic times to the 20th century. While it serves as a decent introduction to the subject, the book falls short in providing a deeper understanding of the complexities within Arab history.
Hourani's writing style is clear and accessible, making it easy for readers with limited prior knowledge to grasp the broad historical narrative. The book covers a wide range of topics, including religion, politics, culture, and social dynamics, which helps to paint a holistic picture of the Arab peoples.
However, the book's main drawback is its lack of in-depth analysis and nuanced exploration of key historical events and figures. Hourani's treatment of certain periods feels rushed, and important events are sometimes glossed over without sufficient context. As a result, readers seeking a more profound understanding of specific periods or regions might be left wanting.
Additionally, the book's focus on political and intellectual history often neglects the experiences of everyday Arab individuals, giving a somewhat top-down perspective. It would have been beneficial to include more personal stories and anecdotes to make the narrative more engaging and relatable.
Despite these shortcomings, A History of the Arab Peoples remains a valuable starting point for those interested in gaining a general understanding of Arab history. Readers looking for a more detailed and nuanced examination, however, may need to supplement their reading with additional sources.
December 31, 2022
4 stars - hardcover - libary read
Fantastic read for a curious girl.
Fantastic read for a curious girl.
June 24, 2023
Good survey of Arab History since the start of Islam
May 4, 2021
My "date started" is an estimate---I think I bought this book and started reading it about a decade ago, when as a teenager I decided I ought to read at least one history book on each of the main areas of the world. I never got very far into it, however, until this latest attempt. That probably goes to show that, compared to some of the other general history books out there, this is a relative dry and boring one. For my preferences, at any rate. It's very much focused on general patterns of change in institutions, lifestyle and intellectual thought, and never goes into very much detail about specific events or personalities, which would perhaps make it more interesting. I also don't think it really did a very good job of explaining *why* or *how* these changes happened, which is perhaps the more important part.
A couple of specific quibbles I had with the book's content:
1) The title is "A History of the Arab Peoples". But it begins with the rise of Islam. Now I know the vast majority of the recorded history of Arabs is from after the rise of Islam, but I'd have liked to see more of the "pre-Islamic context". The book does generally stick to the history of the areas inhabited by people of Arab ethnicity, passing over other Islamic areas like Persia or Anatolia for the most part---but it doesn't really talk much about the *Arab* character of this history specifically, and the exclusion of these areas doesn't really feel justified. Like, even when he gets to the modern era and starts talking about Arab nationalism, I think I'd have gotten a better understanding of Arab nationalism if there had been more talk about these nations and their own forms of nationalism and how that butted up against Arab nationalism.
2) Its coverage is quite "top-heavy" with a focus on the modern era, and in particular the whole era from the life of Muhammad and the first caliphs to the rise of the Ottoman Empire---including the whole "Islamic Golden Age"---is kind of skipped over. To be fair, Hourani dedicates the longest chapter in this book (120 pages or so) to this era. But the chapter is called "Arab Muslim societies". As the title suggests, it's almost entirely focused on institutions and ideas rather than events and personalities. It also portrays society at this time as quite static---it doesn't really give a sense of how it was evolving over time. It's like it just emerged fully-formed out of the Caliphate and then only changed due to the external pressures of the Turks and Europeans. All of my previous attempts to read this book failed during this chapter. Once I got past it it was relatively easy going.
3) This is not really the book's fault, but a lot has changed in the Arab world since it was published in 1993, and even since an afterword was added by Malise Ruthven in 2002. Right at the end, Hourani did allow himself to do a bit more editorializing, and one of his observations was that the postwar Arab world has been remarkably stable politically, a conclusion which, in 2002, Ruthven still largely agreed with (noting Algeria as an exception). After the Arab Spring and the wars in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen one can't really say this any more. I mean, one can certainly observe that Egypt didn't change in the end, and that Syria probably isn't going to change either; but clearly maintaining stability is taking a lot of effort. Anyone looking to read a general history of the Arab peoples today would probably want to find a more recent book which can include these events as part of its perspective.
Basically, while I did learn a bit more about Arab history from this book, so it did its job, I feel like it could be better. I guess the positive thing you could say is that after reading this, whether it's due to the book or not, I still feel interested enough in medieval/modern Near Eastern/whatever history that I want to read another book on the subject.
A couple of specific quibbles I had with the book's content:
1) The title is "A History of the Arab Peoples". But it begins with the rise of Islam. Now I know the vast majority of the recorded history of Arabs is from after the rise of Islam, but I'd have liked to see more of the "pre-Islamic context". The book does generally stick to the history of the areas inhabited by people of Arab ethnicity, passing over other Islamic areas like Persia or Anatolia for the most part---but it doesn't really talk much about the *Arab* character of this history specifically, and the exclusion of these areas doesn't really feel justified. Like, even when he gets to the modern era and starts talking about Arab nationalism, I think I'd have gotten a better understanding of Arab nationalism if there had been more talk about these nations and their own forms of nationalism and how that butted up against Arab nationalism.
2) Its coverage is quite "top-heavy" with a focus on the modern era, and in particular the whole era from the life of Muhammad and the first caliphs to the rise of the Ottoman Empire---including the whole "Islamic Golden Age"---is kind of skipped over. To be fair, Hourani dedicates the longest chapter in this book (120 pages or so) to this era. But the chapter is called "Arab Muslim societies". As the title suggests, it's almost entirely focused on institutions and ideas rather than events and personalities. It also portrays society at this time as quite static---it doesn't really give a sense of how it was evolving over time. It's like it just emerged fully-formed out of the Caliphate and then only changed due to the external pressures of the Turks and Europeans. All of my previous attempts to read this book failed during this chapter. Once I got past it it was relatively easy going.
3) This is not really the book's fault, but a lot has changed in the Arab world since it was published in 1993, and even since an afterword was added by Malise Ruthven in 2002. Right at the end, Hourani did allow himself to do a bit more editorializing, and one of his observations was that the postwar Arab world has been remarkably stable politically, a conclusion which, in 2002, Ruthven still largely agreed with (noting Algeria as an exception). After the Arab Spring and the wars in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen one can't really say this any more. I mean, one can certainly observe that Egypt didn't change in the end, and that Syria probably isn't going to change either; but clearly maintaining stability is taking a lot of effort. Anyone looking to read a general history of the Arab peoples today would probably want to find a more recent book which can include these events as part of its perspective.
Basically, while I did learn a bit more about Arab history from this book, so it did its job, I feel like it could be better. I guess the positive thing you could say is that after reading this, whether it's due to the book or not, I still feel interested enough in medieval/modern Near Eastern/whatever history that I want to read another book on the subject.
August 30, 2014
This book provides an adequate political history of the various regions in the Arab world. It also attempts to cover the cultural, artistic, and literary aspects of the Arab world.
Unfortunately the scope is very broad and relative to its scope the book is too short. I suggest instead the Oxford History of Islam which is much longer and far more expensive.
For someone unable or unwilling to take the time and go to the expense involved with the Oxford History, then Mr. Hourani's book is a very solid choice.
Unfortunately the scope is very broad and relative to its scope the book is too short. I suggest instead the Oxford History of Islam which is much longer and far more expensive.
For someone unable or unwilling to take the time and go to the expense involved with the Oxford History, then Mr. Hourani's book is a very solid choice.
January 22, 2010
I probably learn more about the Arabs from one reading of this book then from 65 years of reading newspapers.
February 22, 2012
عمل فعلا كما قيل عنه شامل ورائع وضروري لكل قارئ في التاريخ ومأرخ. نقله الى العربيه كمال خولي وتم نشره من قبل دار نشر "نوفل". الكتاب يناهز الـ ٦٠٠ صـ.
August 19, 2016
كتاب جميل ومكثف لا يقوى على تأليفه إلا من هو بحجم الموسوعي ألبرت حوراني.. أنصح به
October 25, 2021
Got bored if I'm honest
December 20, 2022
It is common knowledge that the humanities are under attack in Europe, Canada, and the USA. Why?
In reading a history book such as this one, one's eyes are opened up to the significance that the study of the humanities once had. Islamic theologians and philosophers played a role in their societies, not simply studying for their own sake, but in order to help educate the laypeople about how life is to be lived. The study of theology and philosophy thus had a direct practical upshot: it helped the community live a more blessed and knowing life. This is not a trait common to Islam, but to spiritual or religious traditions at large: the question "how am I to live?" is one that is significant, and not best answered by oneself.
In the era of Liberalism, one adheres to a doctrine of professed neutrality between "conceptions of the good" or ways of living (what one values, aspires at). This is not an accidental, but essential feature of liberalism, tracing its roots back to Locke's A Letter Concerning Toleration and much of John Stuart Mill's work. What such neutrality claims, on its face, is that there can be no political imposition of a form of life, of a way of living---each individual has a right to live as they see fit. Because rights are possessions of individuals (it places me in opposition to you---I have a right, a privileged sphere for myself which you are bound or obligated to respect), it suggests that the domain that falls under the jurisdiction of the right is an individual one. Because it is my right to live as I want, the question of how I am to live is mine alone. This reduces the significance of the question "how am I to live?" to a solitary one, taken up in isolation.
Once the question "how am I to live?" has been reduced to solipsism, it is easy to lose sight of the significance, or potential significance, of an education in the humanities---who are you (or they) to tell me how I am to live? The search for oneself and one's path is not one that may be enlightened through an education in the humanities, because the voice of others holds no weight in a solipsistic question. Herein lies the eternal insight of Marx's On the Jewish Question: the paradigm of rights is a paradigm of alienation, not only of you from I, but of myself from myself (what I am, what I could be).
In reading a history book such as this one, one's eyes are opened up to the significance that the study of the humanities once had. Islamic theologians and philosophers played a role in their societies, not simply studying for their own sake, but in order to help educate the laypeople about how life is to be lived. The study of theology and philosophy thus had a direct practical upshot: it helped the community live a more blessed and knowing life. This is not a trait common to Islam, but to spiritual or religious traditions at large: the question "how am I to live?" is one that is significant, and not best answered by oneself.
In the era of Liberalism, one adheres to a doctrine of professed neutrality between "conceptions of the good" or ways of living (what one values, aspires at). This is not an accidental, but essential feature of liberalism, tracing its roots back to Locke's A Letter Concerning Toleration and much of John Stuart Mill's work. What such neutrality claims, on its face, is that there can be no political imposition of a form of life, of a way of living---each individual has a right to live as they see fit. Because rights are possessions of individuals (it places me in opposition to you---I have a right, a privileged sphere for myself which you are bound or obligated to respect), it suggests that the domain that falls under the jurisdiction of the right is an individual one. Because it is my right to live as I want, the question of how I am to live is mine alone. This reduces the significance of the question "how am I to live?" to a solitary one, taken up in isolation.
Once the question "how am I to live?" has been reduced to solipsism, it is easy to lose sight of the significance, or potential significance, of an education in the humanities---who are you (or they) to tell me how I am to live? The search for oneself and one's path is not one that may be enlightened through an education in the humanities, because the voice of others holds no weight in a solipsistic question. Herein lies the eternal insight of Marx's On the Jewish Question: the paradigm of rights is a paradigm of alienation, not only of you from I, but of myself from myself (what I am, what I could be).
August 15, 2023
Un libro muy detallado, con una prosa densa pero bien articulada. Hourani es tanto un historiador de las ideas como lo es de los hechos, y esto se nota en la forma de ilustrar la evolución de la sociedad árabe con el paso de los siglos. Me gusta mucho que no sólo hable sobre los movimientos políticos y teológicos del pueblo árabe, sino que también mencione aquello que se conoce sobre las diferentes formas de vida y despliegue un mosaico de descripciones que permite entender el ethos de cada época.
Muy comprensivo sin llegar a ahogar con detalles; ideal para gente que, como yo, emprende la lectura sin grandes conocimientos acerca de la cultura árabe.
Muy comprensivo sin llegar a ahogar con detalles; ideal para gente que, como yo, emprende la lectura sin grandes conocimientos acerca de la cultura árabe.
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