The Arab Intellectual and the Crisis of Ideological Modernity in the Context of the Historical Development of Arab Society

Abstract

The research aimed to explore the role of the Arab intellectual in confronting the crisis of ideological modernity within the context of the historical development of Arab society. It employed the critical-analytical approach, a method of analyzing intellectual texts. The research began by analyzing the concept of the intellectual as an actor in the symbolic and social field, to demonstrate that their activity is governed by a constant engagement with ideology, either as a critical framework that guides thought, or as a constraint that robs them of their critical independence when they become a tool in the hands of authority or the market. The research also discussed the problematic relationship between the intellectual and imported modernity, which arrived in the Arab world laden with contradictions of Westernization and secularization, versus a conservative local heritage, generating tension between adoption and resistance. The intellectual's crisis also appears in their relationship with authority, as they oscillate between two discourses: the ideological discourse of authority and the discourse of the oppositional intellectual, who, if transformed into an alternative authority, loses credibility. The study reveals that the crisis of the Arab intellectual has deepened as a result of accelerating social and political transformations. The intellectual remains unable to keep pace with his new roles, due to his attachment to the past or his adherence to outdated theoretical frameworks, which has prevented him from playing an effective critical role. The study concludes that the true intellectual is the one who produces awareness and leads the masses in confronting authoritarianism, not one who is content with theorizing in academic ghettos.