From Ideological Reading to the Epistemological Reading of the Arab-Islamic Heritage

Abstract

This study sheds light on a particular aspect of readings that are identified as ideological readings. They include orientalist and pseudo-orientalist readings. These two kinds of readings, according to Al-Jabri, fall under one heading- the Salafi-oriented reading of héritage. The afore-mentioned readings are essentially influenced and directed by particular backgrounds whose main aim is to highlight the bright sides of the Arabic readings, and that the complex of originality (authenticity) is the driving force that generated these readings.

Concerning the orientalist readings, they were driven by the intention of serving the European centralism, hence giving rise to à colonial flair or dominion.

All of these readings, according to Al-Jabri, suffer from two shortcomings: absence of objectivity and historical perspective, whose positions are overtaken by subjectivity and ahistory. This resulted in the aliénation of these readings/ interpretations.

The researcher relied on the comparative analytical method in his study, that reached a set of results, the most important of which are:

Al-Jabri’s reading constituted a new breakthrough in reading the Arab-Islamic heritage, as we moved with him from partial reading to total reading, from subjectivity to objectivity, and from non-historical to historical.

Despite what Al-Jabri provided, we record the following:

- The absence of historical depth, and the sign of this is his lack of interest in the philological method.

- He fell into the trap of the Orientalist view - which he warned against - when he compared the East and the West and thus made rational sciences and philosophy a commodity alien to our culture.

- He fell into the ideological reading that he criticized.