Anthropology
Hamed Vahdati Nasab; Alieh Abdollahi
Abstract
The under review book of Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow, is the second part of the trilogy of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century were all written by Yuval Noah Harari. In this book, the writer has first reviewed the history behind the formation of the human mindset from Paleolithic ...
Read More
The under review book of Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow, is the second part of the trilogy of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century were all written by Yuval Noah Harari. In this book, the writer has first reviewed the history behind the formation of the human mindset from Paleolithic to the renaissance with particular emphasis on the scientific revolution and appearance of the humanism paradigm and its subdivisions (liberalism, socialism, and fascism). Doing so, he concluded that the invention of the internet of everything and using more sophisticated computer-generated algorithms by Google and Facebook (Dataism) would eventually put humans aside forever. The writers of this critique compared the Farsi translation with the English one and realized that some parts of the Farsi version suffer from improper translation, and some other parts have been deleted during the translation. In addition to that, it is probable that human societies might escape from the illustrated dark future by Harari. Learning from past events, and more importantly, using our global consciousness, which we possess more than ever, might change the inevitable future.
Anthropology
Mohammad Amir Ahmadzadeh
Abstract
Socio-cultural reading is one of the most important approaches in cultural history, which is highlighted in the book "An Introduction to the Cultural History of the Body in Iran". In this article, the methodology and content of the text begin with the question of how the use of discourse approach in ...
Read More
Socio-cultural reading is one of the most important approaches in cultural history, which is highlighted in the book "An Introduction to the Cultural History of the Body in Iran". In this article, the methodology and content of the text begin with the question of how the use of discourse approach in the cultural history of the body has an impact on the authors of the book and their reading of the sources and events of Iranian history and to find out its strengths and weaknesses. By using a critical approach and historical analysis, the discussion can be achieved in an attempt to formulate a new history of Iran, provide a different interpretation of the understanding of history, highlight the sociological approach and cultural studies of the body, interpret the cover as cultural, political and religious mentioned the use of literary and illustrated sources with the aim of strengthening the socio-cultural history approach. However, the universal and detailed view as a result of the dominance of the holistic and theory-based approach in the text of the work is impaired, and several historical data can be presented that challenge the inference of the authors of the book. On the other hand, the four divisions of the historical periods of Iran into the imperial era, the constitutional era, the modern era, and the religious era in different seasons have serious problems and do not correspond to the periods of Iranian history.
Anthropology
Mahdi Baratifar; Hadi Vakili
Abstract
According to the normative theories, one can speak of the three types of duty-based ethics, result-based ethics, and virtue-based ethics. A study of the history of Islamic rational-narrative traditions reveals the foundations and perspectives of all three types of ethics among Muslim thinkers. According ...
Read More
According to the normative theories, one can speak of the three types of duty-based ethics, result-based ethics, and virtue-based ethics. A study of the history of Islamic rational-narrative traditions reveals the foundations and perspectives of all three types of ethics among Muslim thinkers. According to the authors, the fourth type of ethics can also be considered as “Caliphate-oriented ethics”, which is based on the assumption and succession between man and God, or in the sense of human Rabbi and Abd. In this article, we attempt to examine the concept of “Caliphate-based ethics” by examining the mystical ethics in the tradition of theoretical mysticism. According to the authors, (1) this type of ethics may be the correct interpretation of “mystical ethics” - in the tradition of theoretical mysticism attributed to Ibn al-Arabi; (2) Imam Khomeini’s mystical ethics is more compatible with “caliphate-based ethics” than other normative ethics theories; and (3) Caliphate-based ethics is subordinated to virtue ethics. In fact, the Caliphate’s ethics should be viewed as a virtue theory that differs in the nature of virtues, the method of recognizing virtues, and how to achieve virtues with conventional approaches to virtue ethics. In short, in this theory, virtues are the attributes of God, the method of recognizing virtues is the knowledge of the virtues, and the method of becoming virtuous is to imitate God and then become the caliph of God through mystical conduct in three stages. Purification, Polishing, and Adornation. In fact, it is this methodology of knowledge and moral development that is based on anthropology and mystical theology, which is found in the mystical works of the school of theoretical mysticism, including the mystical works of Imam Khomeini.
Anthropology
Sayyed Hossein Hosseini
Abstract
The present paper introduces and criticizes the book, entitled Philosophical Anthropology, authored by Hans Dierkes. In this book, the author has selected texts containing educational perspectives on the subject matter of the discussion, proposed mainly without any comprehensive analysis and deep systematization. ...
Read More
The present paper introduces and criticizes the book, entitled Philosophical Anthropology, authored by Hans Dierkes. In this book, the author has selected texts containing educational perspectives on the subject matter of the discussion, proposed mainly without any comprehensive analysis and deep systematization. After mentioning four levels of philosophical anthropology proposed by Dierkes and criticizing them, this paper talks about the importance of paying attention to the new approach called “dimensional anthropology”, and in addition to investigating the anthropology classification in the book structure, it has referred to the proposed quadripartite model in the human exposure to self, nature, society, and God. In the following, the similarities and differences between the anthropological perspectives are explained using the analytical-critical method, and it paves the way for their philosophical criticism. Accordingly, the most important finding of this research is that most of the anthropological perspectives have paid attention to one or more than one dimension of human facets and have been magnified, and there are few perspectives in which one can achieve the analysis of the relation and interaction between all human forces, indicating the importance of paying attention to the philosophical and methodological foundations of “dimensional anthropology”. This book is very helpful with regard to opening scientific horizons and posing main anthropological questions, but presenting any definition of the realm and examples of philosophical anthropology depends on the explanation of the “subject” and “method” of such approach, and no clear boundary can be found between the four levels of Philosophical Anthropology proposed by Dierkes without having an accurate perspective on its components.
Anthropology
Akbar Zare Shahabadi; Hamideh Shiri-Mohammadabad
Abstract
Over the last two decades, a change has occurred in the paradigm of the development model, especially individual and social development, and the theoretical model of dynamic human training has been attracting considerable interest since then. Indeed, humans and their needs were viewed from a different ...
Read More
Over the last two decades, a change has occurred in the paradigm of the development model, especially individual and social development, and the theoretical model of dynamic human training has been attracting considerable interest since then. Indeed, humans and their needs were viewed from a different angle, and the communities set it as their goal to educate and train psychologically and socially good/OK humans. Thomas A. Harris, an American author, is one of the noted psychiatrists who has researched this subject for several decades. He has written several books on the good status and the good human. He believes that good training bred good status. This article firstly provides a short introduction about the book, and then in the second part, the Transactional Analysis Theory is introduced, and then the structure and content of the book are mentioned in the third part. In the rest of the paper, the criticisms and evaluation of the book are presented in two sub-sections (a) evaluation of form and (b) evaluation of the content. In the final section of the paper, the conclusion of the book is presented.
Anthropology
Parvin Ghasemi
Abstract
The book of Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples was written in anti-colonial texts with orientations toward anthropology, research, and science. From anthropology to science and research was blamed by the writer because of using them by the colonial system. The author claims that ...
Read More
The book of Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples was written in anti-colonial texts with orientations toward anthropology, research, and science. From anthropology to science and research was blamed by the writer because of using them by the colonial system. The author claims that science, research, and anthropology have contributed to colonization. Pieces of evidence of inhumane research by British colonists in New Zealand on the Maori are presented in the book. This book shows that, in the face of numerous struggles that the Maori tribes have made with the colonists, today, the meaning and application of “research” have become different from the past, and they welcomed “research” with open arms. According to the evidence, the main culprit is not “research” but the economic and political ambitions of the colonial countries that overshadow the name of research and anthropology. The Maoris always in particular and the Polynesians generally are introduced and identified from the perspective of foreign anthropologists, But in this book, she is a Maori woman who writes and records and expresses her opinion and analysis of the past and anthropology. In this book, is not to be seen anti-colonialist view of the West or colonialism in the light of their understanding of the Maori. This issue is less addressed in anti-colonial works. Writing about the Maori themselves and their wounds will help to improve the situation, but it does not require us to understand the West and colonize from a careful perspective and pay attention to the subjective layers.
Anthropology
Parisa Goudarzi; Mohsen Shabani
Abstract
Moral anthropology is a newfound field in interdisciplinary studies in moral philosophy and anthropology. ‘The Subject of Virtue: An Anthropology of Ethics and Freedom’ by James Laidlaw is one of the most effective books ever in this area. The author tries to approximate the boundaries of ...
Read More
Moral anthropology is a newfound field in interdisciplinary studies in moral philosophy and anthropology. ‘The Subject of Virtue: An Anthropology of Ethics and Freedom’ by James Laidlaw is one of the most effective books ever in this area. The author tries to approximate the boundaries of anthropology and moral philosophy. He uses notions and theories from both fields, and it makes the book to be more than a mere anthropological study. For instance, he draws the notions of virtue and freedom from moral philosophy and anthropology, respectively. As a result, the book could be regarded as a successful interdisciplinary study, which benefits from both disciplines and at the same time contributed to them methodologically. To do so, he uses philosophical resources to support anthropological researches. Laidlaw also wants to facilitate new resources in the field of moral anthropology and puts some figures like Foucault, MacIntyre, and Williams together to improve the discussion of moral anthropology.
Anthropology
Ali Motevalizadeh Ardekani
Abstract
The current review is on a book entitled Not by Genes Alone written by Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd. The review begins with an introduction to Human sciences in Iran and the world, and different aspects are discussed. The role of biological factors and Genetics in shaping human behavior and culture ...
Read More
The current review is on a book entitled Not by Genes Alone written by Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd. The review begins with an introduction to Human sciences in Iran and the world, and different aspects are discussed. The role of biological factors and Genetics in shaping human behavior and culture is critiqued. Although this book is not a new book on this matter, it refers to the importance of culture and biological evolution. The authors describe the importance of culture for understanding human behavior and the fact that culture is part of biology. The authors believe that to understand culture, the “population thinking” (thinking that the influence on a population is the main cause of change in culture and not an individual human being) is the key. Genes and environment interact together, and both play a role in human behavior.