Freedom, modernity, and Islam

Freedom, Modernity, and Islam provides a philosophical treatment of the concept of freedom in both a Western and Islamic context. Richard K. Khuri maintains that the prevalent theories of modernity do not fully explain the global opposition to certain modern trends. Only with a new analysis of freedom, using Western and non-Western sources, can we achieve a spontaneous synthesis that will inspire genuine freedom for all individuals and societies in the Arab-Muslim world - and, indeed, elsewhere. In the West, in post-Enlightenment times, the understanding of freedom has been narrowed; it is now irreducibly enmeshed with limited notions of rationality and a "morality" of self-interest. Khuri challenges this perception and explores other dimensions of freedom: quality, transcendence, and the conditions under which community might enhance freedom. Khuri then applies this analysis to an examination of freedom's status in the Arab Muslim world, past and present. He determines which ideas and practices have led to the considerable lack of freedom that marks many Middle Eastern societies today. Finally, Khuri ends on a more hopeful note and offers suggestions about embracing a broader and deeper understanding of freedom.