Dr. Aram Hessami argues that the most general characteristic of Iranian society is their predilection to religiosity and that the most important social, political, and economic events of the last two centuries were all somehow related to the concept of religion and religiosity. Hessami notes that national identity is hundreds of years of history, as opposed to personal identity, which evolves from childhood to adulthood. He then poses the questions: how do we define our identity outside of institutions? Who is to determine what is the national identity of a nation that has been in existence for centuries?
Dr. Aram Hessami is a Political Science and Philosophy professor at Montgomery College. He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Political Science and Philosophy from George Washington University. He specializes in Western political thought and postmodern philosophy, with his research focusing on democratic transition, discourse theory, and social change. Dr. Hessami serves as one of the directors of Iran 1400 Inc. and an advisory board member of theIran 1400 Project.
