Political Science 792MA - S-Modern Arab Poli Thought

Massive political protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen, commonly dubbed as the ?Arab Spring,? have gripped the world?s attention since December 2010, especially when they succeeded in overthrowing three of the most enduring Arab dictators. Since then, academics, news commentators, and lay people alike have offered various explanations for this seemingly unexpected turn of events by focusing mainly on contemporary socioeconomic, political and cultural causes. This course offers its own take on revolutionary politics in the Arab world through examining the history of ideas that have animated Arab society since the time of the ?Arab Renaissance? in the mid 19th century, through colonial and postcolonial times, and up until the present.
Through close readings of selected texts in this historical canon, we will examine the following questions and themes: how do Arab thinkers conceive of ?Arab? identity? How do ?Arab? identities relate to ?other? identities? How has political freedom been defined by these authors? Do they imagine a uniquely ?Arab? way to achieve such freedom? What are perceived as the legitimate bases of political authority in Arab society? Is revolution or reform the best way for establishing such authority?
The class will examine how central Arab thinkers formulate different responses to these questions. This examination will highlight some of the key ways in which Arab thinking about political freedom is distinct from the ways it has been conceived in western political theory. Most importantly, this examination will lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of contemporary struggles for freedom in the Arab world.

Open to Graduate students only. Instructor can be reached at ydaifallah@polsci.umass.edu