The Iran Issue: A Formulation of Theories

Hoseinzadeh Yazdi, Mahdi; Mollabashi, Seyyed Mohsen

doi:10.22059/jstmt.2026.416472.1895

The Iran Issue: A Formulation of Theories

Document Type : Research Article / Original Article

Authors

Mahdi Hoseinzadeh Yazdi ¹

Seyyed Mohsen Mollabashi ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/jstmt.2026.416472.1895

Abstract

Science begins with a problem, and social sciences with a social problem; therefore, social scientists in Iran must answer—or at least reflect upon—this pivotal question: Have we succeeded in "problematizing" Iran—in the same way that social sciences in the West succeeded in problematizing their own societies? This may well be the "zero step" in the formation of indigenous social sciences within any given context. In this study, we attempt to address this fundamental question. It appears that the initial step in tackling this issue is to formulate and develop a theoretical typology of the ideas put forward by those who have sought to realize this objective . For this formulation, we require a clear and—as far as possible—solid foundation; we have sought to derive this basis from the definition of the problem itself: namely, the obstacles to transitioning from the current state to the desired state. While the description of the current state is characterized by endless multiplicity, the desired state for Iranian society—as viewed through existing theories—can be categorized into three groups: modernization, "Iranization," or Islamization. Naturally, the theories falling under each of these three categories differ in at least two respects: first, their definition of the desired state (e.g., modernity); and second, the path to achieving that goal. For this reason, we have outlined the various narratives within each of these three categories, though we reserve a detailed examination of each for a separate study.

Keywords

Issue

Iran

Iranianization

Islamization

Modernization

Iranian social sciences

Subjects

New ideas for the reconstruction of social sciences based on the sources of Islamic thought

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