Elizabeth Suzanne Kassab, an associate professor of philosophy at the Doha Institute, delves into contemporary Arab thought and cultural critique. She discusses the polarization in the Arab intellectual scene post-independence, addressing issues like authoritarianism and identity. Kassab shares her personal journey from Western philosophy to engaging with Arab traditions, and highlights pivotal themes from her updated book, including the influence of social history and the significance of art in intellectual discourse. Her insights illuminate shared struggles across the globe.
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Kassab's Intellectual Journey
Elizabeth Suzanne Kassab described her journey from studying only Western philosophy to exploring Arab thought after recognizing the lack of intellectual history resources.
She realized the importance of connecting historical events and philosophical developments, especially related to her region.
insights INSIGHT
Impact of 1967 Defeat
The 1967 defeat triggered ideological reactions including Islamist movements and radical critiques in Arab thought.
Kassab focused on the critical response, highlighting Arab intellectuals' deep sense of cultural malaise and despair after repeated regional failures.
insights INSIGHT
Critical Themes and Comparative Approach
Kassab's book explores Arab intellectual debates through themes like cultural malaise, religion, gender, and knowledge, tied by critical questioning rather than ready-made ideologies.
She also compares Arab debates with those in Latin America and Africa, revealing shared non-exceptional struggles in the global south.
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Contemporary Arab Thought, Cultural Critique and Comparative Perspective
Contemporary Arab Thought, Cultural Critique and Comparative Perspective
second edition, which was actually first published in 2009
Elizabeth Suzanne Kassab
Since its first publication in 2009, this book has stood as the foremost account of contemporary Arab debates on culture, philosophy, modernity, tradition, identity, and liberation. It is widely used in Middle Eastern studies courses, and it has become a classic in the field of Arab intellectual history. The second edition features an extensive new introduction that reconsiders post-1967 Arab intellectual history in light of the 2011 uprisings and the upheavals that have occurred over the intervening years. Kassab critically reflects on the book’s arguments and the responses it has provoked, and she surveys the new preoccupations that have emerged in Arab debates since 2011. As crises again overtake the Middle East, this landmark work continues to offer indispensable insight into the richness of contemporary Arab thought.
Enlightenment on the Eve of Revolution: The Egyptian and Syrian Debates
Enlightenment on the Eve of Revolution: The Egyptian and Syrian Debates
Elizabeth S. Kassab
Elizabeth S. Kassab's "Enlightenment on the Eve of Revolution: The Egyptian and Syrian Debates" examines the intellectual and political ferment that preceded the Arab uprisings in Egypt and Syria. The book explores the role of Enlightenment thought in shaping political discourse and activism in both countries. Kassab's work highlights the complex interplay of ideas and power, demonstrating how Enlightenment ideals were both embraced and contested in the context of authoritarian rule. The book provides valuable insights into the intellectual history of the Arab uprisings, shedding light on the ideas and debates that fueled revolutionary movements. Kassab's analysis offers a nuanced understanding of the intellectual currents that shaped the political landscape of Egypt and Syria in the years leading up to the uprisings.
In the last third of the twentieth century, the Arab intellectual and political scene polarized between totalizing doctrines—nationalist, Marxist, and religious—and radical critique. Arab thinkers were reacting to the disenchanting experience of postindependence and a widespread sense of malaise, as well as to authoritarianism, intolerance, injustice, failed development, and successive defeats by Israel. The foundational account of these responses, Contemporary Arab Thought illuminates the relationship between cultural and political critique in the work of major Arab thinkers. Elizabeth Suzanne Kassab also connects Arab debates to the postcolonial issues of Latin America and Africa, revealing the shared struggles of different regions.
Since its first publication in 2009, this book has stood as the foremost account of contemporary Arab debates on culture, philosophy, modernity, tradition, identity, and liberation. It is widely used in Middle Eastern studies courses, and it has become a classic in the field of Arab intellectual history. Contemporary Arab Thought: Cultural Critique in Comparative Perspective (Columbia UP, 2025) now features an extensive new introduction that reconsiders post-1967 Arab intellectual history in light of the 2011 uprisings and the upheavals that have occurred over the intervening years. Kassab critically reflects on the book’s arguments and the responses it has provoked, and she surveys the new preoccupations that have emerged in Arab debates since 2011. As crises again overtake the Middle East, this landmark work continues to offer indispensable insight into the richness of contemporary Arab thought.
Elizabeth Suzanne Kassab is associate professor of philosophy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. Her books include Enlightenment on the Eve of Revolution: The Egyptian and Syrian Debates (Columbia, 2019). The Arabic edition of Contemporary Arab Thought received the prestigious Sheikh Zayed Book Award.
New Books in Intellectual History