Bijan Abdolkarimi
Bijan Abdolkarimi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 Tehran, Iran |
| Occupation(s) | Philosopher, thinker, translator, editor, professor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Known for | Ontology, political philosophy, Heidegger scholarship, critique of Islamic humanities |
| Notable work | Reflections on the Paradox of Directed Democracy; Heidegger and Transcendence; Heidegger in Iran |
Bijan Abdolkarimi (; born 1963) is a prominent Iranian philosopher, thinker, translator, and editor. His scholarly pursuits primarily encompass ontology, political philosophy, and critical examinations of religious and intellectual traditions. Abdolkarimi actively contests prevailing ideological discourse within Iran, participating in intellectual debates at Iranian academic institutions and on IRIB TV4, where he notably critiques the notion of Islamic humanities.
He is also recognized for his expertise on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, contributing significantly to modern dialogues concerning Western culture and intellectual thought.
Career
Since 2001, Abdolkarimi has held the position of associate professor of philosophy at the Islamic Azad University North Tehran Branch. On 4 September 2021, he faced dismissal over accusations of “supporting the Pahlavi monarchy.” However, this removal was temporarily halted by the university president pending a further review.
Views
Abdolkarimi’s philosophical approach centers on a spiritual and contemplative reading of Heidegger. He concentrates on the interaction between East and West, analyzing it through historical and phenomenological lenses rather than ideological or theological frameworks. His work engages with the theory concerning the end of theology, drawing upon Gianni Vattimo’s idea of "destroyed ontology," which Abdolkarimi interprets as the "absence of metaphysics" characteristic of contemporary times—where metaphysics refers broadly to any historical theoretical system, beyond just the classical Greek tradition. He envisions future intellectual paradigms as nonsecular and nontheological, rejecting both secular materialism and conventional theological doctrines.
Bibliography
- Reflections on the Paradox of Directed Democracy, Eshraghieh Press, Tehran, 1989
- Shariati and Being Politicized, Resa Institute of Cultural Service, Tehran, 1995
- Thought and Politics, Tehran: Elmi o Farhangi, 1977
- The Story of Me and Thou, Tehran: Critique of Culture, 2001
- Heidegger and Transcendence (Commentary on Heidegger's Interpretation of Kant's Critique of Pure Reason), Tehran: Critique of Culture, 2002
- Emancipation or Dominance? (Critique of Religious Education in Iran), co-authored with Mohammad Ali Mohammadi, Tehran: Critique of Culture, 2002
- Monism or Pluralism? (Criticism of Daryoush Shaygan's Modern Enchantedness), Tehran: Critique of Culture, 2004
- Nietzscheian World and Us, Elm Publication, Tehran, 2009
- Hegel or Marx? (Critical Study of Iranian Intellectuals), Tehran: Critique of Culture, 2002
- Heidegger in Iran, Iranian Institute of Philosophy, 2013
See also
External links
- 1963 births
- 20th-century essayists
- 20th-century Iranian philosophers
- 20th-century Iranian translators
- 21st-century essayists
- 21st-century Iranian philosophers
- 21st-century translators
- Aligarh Muslim University alumni
- English–Persian translators
- Existentialists
- Faculty of Letters and Humanities of the University of Tehran alumni
- Heidegger scholars
- Iranian essayists
- Iranian non-fiction writers
- Academic staff of the Islamic Azad University
- Living people
- Muslim reformers
- Writers from Tehran
- Persian-language writers
- Phenomenologists
- University of Tehran alumni
- Writers about activism and social change
- Writers about globalization
- Male non-fiction writers