Concept, Subject, Origin and Types of Alienation in Ali Shariati’s Notion and Thought

Document Type : Research Article / Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Ahlul Bayt International University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Ahlul Bayt International University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

This study examines Ali Shariati’s conception of alienation, focusing on its meaning, subject, origins, causes, types, and the theoretical framework through which he explains both alienation and de-alienation. Employing qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis, the research draws on seven of Shariati’s major works. Data were analyzed using the three-stage coding procedure proposed by Strauss and Corbin (open, axial, and selective coding). The analysis resulted in the identification of seven core themes: (1) alienation, (2) the alienated individual, (3) the subject of alienation, (4) the causes of alienation, (5) types of alienation, (6) alienation as an imposed or self-chosen phenomenon, and (7) de-alienation. Interpretation of these themes indicates that Shariati deliberately narrows the broad, global notion of alienation to the more specific concept of self-alienation. In this condition, the individual experiences the self as an “other,” loses self-consciousness, and lives under a false and fabricated identity. Shariati conceptualizes alienation as the outcome of a dialectical relationship between the individual and society. He argues that assimilation, alienation, imitation, and corruption are dialectically intertwined processes that may ultimately lead to self-consciousness, awareness, and the rebirth of the authentic self. Regarding the origins of alienation, Shariati refers to factors such as labor and the means of production, colonialism, imitation, bureaucracy, machinery, money, sophistry, and distorted forms of love. Together, these forces estrange human beings from their original selves and generate multiple forms of alienation. For Shariati, the ultimate solution lies in returning to the authentic self and overcoming self-alienation.

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Social Theories of Muslim Thinkers
Volume 15, Issue 4
December 2025
Pages 161-182

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 January 2025
  • Revise Date: 12 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 14 September 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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