Description
Book SynopsisThe Nature of Tyranny was written and published at the dawn of the twentieth century by Abdul Rahman Al-Kawakibi, one of the pioneering thinkers of the Arab world. More than a century later, another Arab awakening exploded, led by a new generation of youth who chanted Al-Kawakibi's words in revolutionary cries from Aleppo, his hometown, to Cairo's Tahrir Square. Today this seminal text appears in English for the first time, with a foreword from Leon T. Goldsmith offering an overview of Al-Kawakibi's intellectual contributions. The first chapter of the text provides a definition of tyranny, presenting it as akin to a sickness or malaise that seeps into all classes of society, leaving behind decay. The following seven chapters apply this conception of tyranny to what Al-Kawakibi sees as society's crucial elements: religion, knowledge, honour, economy, ethics and progress. Having laid a theoretical framework for understanding the centrality of tyranny, its characteristics and its devastating effects, Al-Kawakibi concludes by setting forth a brief programme for remedying the 'disease' of tyranny. The final chapter outlines another book in which he had planned to elaborate upon his ideas-but, ultimately, his fate arrived too soon.
Trade Review'An important work of modern Arab political thought which resonates across the more than a century since its original publication and retains the clarity of its message amid the fallout from the Arab Spring. This English translation fills a gap in a literature that remains far too Western-centric.' -- Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University
'Slowly but surely, the important texts of Arabic thought are being translated as critical editions. Al-Kawakibi's book stands as an exemplar of the Arab liberal canon. This volume will help to educate readers about the Arabs' 150-year struggle for responsible government.' -- John Calvert, Professor in the Department of History, Creighton University, and author of 'Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism'
'This translation makes a seminal historical text available to English audiences. It demonstrates that Al-Kawakibi's pioneering thought remains relevant to intellectuals and young Arab generations searching for ideological doctrines to bolster their aspirations for political and social change in the Muslim/Arab world.' -- Fruma Zachs, Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern History, University of Haifa
'Al-Kawakibi's classic text has never lost its timeliness. It teems with insights into despotism's effects on wealth and economy, religion and tradition. This long-awaited translation will help a new audience recognise Al-Kawakibi as a foremost theorist from the Global South.' -- Mohammed Bamyeh, Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh, and editor of 'Intellectuals and Civil Society in the Middle East'
