Based on a video from the YouTube channel Resaneh Parsi

In this thought-provoking video published by Resaneh Parsi, Iranian intellectual Ebrahim Sahafi explores the enduring significance of Iranshahr thought—an indigenous philosophical and civilizational tradition that has shaped Iranian identity and governance from antiquity to the present. Tracing its evolution from the Achaemenid era through the Islamic period and into modern times, Sahafi underscores the importance of reviving Iran’s own intellectual heritage as a foundation for meaningful modernization—one that is grounded in historical consciousness rather than mere technological or institutional mimicry of the West.

The discussion critiques the uncritical adoption of Western social sciences in Iranian academia and calls for the development of a “national university”—a civic institution rooted in Iran’s specific intellectual and societal challenges. By drawing on key concepts such as the public sphere, dialogue, ethics, and law, Sahafi provides a framework for navigating modern complexities through Iranian rational thought.

The Evolution of Ideas

1. Iranshahr Thought: Continuity Across Empires
The concept of Iranshahr (“Land of Iran”)—originating in the Achaemenid imperial worldview—persisted well beyond the Arab conquest. Rather than being supplanted, it reemerged in new forms within the Islamic context, especially in works such as siyasatnamehs (political treatises) and Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. This continuity exemplifies what Dr. Ahmad Fardid and later Dr. Seyyed Javad Tabataba’i call the “new in old” (jadid dar ghadim)—a dynamic reinterpretation of the past that informs new modes of thought and governance, including the 1906 Constitutional Revolution.

2. Islamic Iranian Thought: Beyond Caliphal Orthodoxy
After the Arab conquest, Iran developed a distinctive synthesis of Islamic and pre-Islamic thought. This Islamic Iranian worldview diverged from Caliphal orthodoxy by incorporating Persian cultural memory, contributing to Iran’s eventual emergence as a center of independent Islamic philosophy, literature, and mysticism. Rationalist schools, such as the Mu’tazilites, found fertile ground under Persianate dynasties, including the Buyids.

3. The Birth of an Indigenous Philosophical Tradition
Figures like Farabi and Avicenna (Ibn Sina) laid the groundwork for an Iranian philosophical tradition that both inherited and transcended Greek sources. Avicenna’s Daneshnameh Alai was among the first philosophical works composed in Persian. Later, Suhrawardi’s Illuminationist philosophy (ḥikmat al-ishrāq) integrated elements of Zoroastrian cosmology, Persian mysticism, and Islamic metaphysics, forming a distinctly Iranian school of thought that influenced Mulla Sadra and the broader Shi‘a intellectual tradition.

4. “New in Old” as a Modernization Paradigm
Sahafi argues that true modernization cannot occur through wholesale borrowing. Instead, it must arise from a reinterpretation of foundational traditions. The Constitutional Revolution represents this paradigm well—modern legal institutions were crafted with legitimacy derived from Islamic jurisprudence (fatwas), blending innovation with tradition.

5. Reframing Nationhood
In contrast to the European model—where nationhood emerged from the collapse of religious unity and dynastic politics—Sahafi describes Iranian nationhood as evolving organically through cultural pluralism. Iranian nationalism, in this view, is integrative and civilizational, designed to protect cultural integrity rather than project expansionist ideology.

6. Rational vs. Engineering Intellect
Sahafi distinguishes between ‘aql-e mohandesi (engineering intellect)—a pragmatic, technical mindset—and ‘aql-e ‘aqla’i (rational intellect), which addresses foundational philosophical and ethical questions. He critiques Iran’s post-revolutionary overreliance on social engineering and technocratic solutions, warning that neglecting rational introspection has contributed to unintended consequences, including ideological extremism.

The Evolution of Institutions

1. Religious Seminaries vs. Imported Universities
Whereas European universities evolved from religious institutions, Iran’s modern universities were abruptly modeled on French and later Anglo-American systems, beginning with the School of Political Sciences. These institutions lacked organic ties to Iranian intellectual life and were poorly equipped to address domestic sociopolitical issues. Sahafi favors a model akin to German universities—anchored in national philosophy and dedicated to civic and historical inquiry.

2. Political Structures and the Constitutional Shift
From pre-Islamic monarchies to Islamic caliphates and back to autonomous Iranian dynasties, the evolution of political governance in Iran reflects an enduring tension between continuity and reform. The Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911) sought to balance monarchical authority with legal restraint, leading to the establishment of modern institutions, including courts, parliaments, and ministries, which were grounded in a hybrid of Islamic and modern law.

3. The Cultural Revolution and the Crisis of the Humanities
Sahafi critiques the 1980s Cultural Revolution’s attempt to “Islamize” the humanities, describing it as lacking theoretical depth and historical awareness. Rather than fostering indigenous thought, it sidelined intellectual autonomy. The continued dominance of Western social science paradigms, divorced from Iranian realities, is seen as a legacy of this misguided effort.

Toward a National University and Public Rationality

The proposed “national university” would not be merely a physical institution but a philosophical project, centered on Iran’s own questions, problems, and traditions. Such a university would cultivate a rational and ethical public sphere, training citizens to engage with modernity in a historical consciousness rather than an ideological dependency.

Conclusion: Toward Reflective Modernity

Ebrahim Sahafi’s analysis offers a compelling vision for Iranian renewal: a synthesis of past and present, where ancient wisdom informs future possibilities. Rather than replicating Western institutions, he calls for an Iran-centered approach to modernity, rooted in Iranshahr thought, constitutionalism, and indigenous philosophy. By reactivating these traditions through rational inquiry, Iran can shape a modernity that is both authentic and adaptive—neither nostalgic nor imitative, but firmly grounded in its own civilizational logic.

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