The French Connection: Henri Corbin and Iran, Islam, Philosophy and Revolution

Roxanne Varzi
Anthropology
UC Irvine

It’s difficult for many to grasp how and why Islam would remain a powerful form of protest against Iran’s Islamic government – especially for young Iranian intellectuals who are influenced by Western postmodern thinkers. Going back to the 1950s, 60s and 70s, to explore the work and life of one important French orientalist through the writing of his biography, this project will explore how Shiite Islam came into play with postcolonial and postmodern theories to bring about the Islamic Revolution. Could this explain why 30 years later, Islam continues to provide a framework for protest among those disillusioned by the Islamic Republic? What is and has been the role of Western philosophy and European Orientalists in the pedagogy of Islamic Revolutionaries?