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Showing 4 results for Authoritarianism


Volume 7, Issue 2 (4-2015)
Abstract

The present article discuses the foundation of administrative reforms of Reza Shah, which have had positive and negative consequences. The presence and continuation of the culture of dictatorship, along with the despotic way and enforcement of personal whims, are some of those results. Another goal of this article is to show that despite of the little changes that took place in the way of reform, a true foundation in the administrative system of the country was not implemented. During that time too, undesirable and destructive characteristics of administrative system, like favoritism, familism, obedience, lack of trust, sycophancy, corruption, lawlessness and irrationality remained and sometimes were even strengthened.    

Volume 12, Issue 2 (2-2021)
Abstract

Abstract
This study compares democratization in Iran and Turkey during the periods from 1906 to 1913.  We show that Iranian and Ottoman society experienced the wave of democratization in 1906 and 1908 respectively. We argue that although Iran and Turkey established some fundamental requirements of democratic system such as parliamentary election, Majlis and constitutional law, after a very short time, the countries returned to authoritarianism. Our argument is that the dynamics of the authoritarianism revolve around strategic interactions between the military actors and political elites in the regime and the foreign powers. The strategic choices made by these groups determined the main process of the authoritarianism. This study uses comparative historical analysis. Methodologically,the comparative historical analysis focuses on both historically interpretive and causally analytic.The findings indicate  that the return to authoritarianism in Iran  and Tukey is a result of the combination of three causal conditions,  the suppressive strategy of political actors such as  the dissolution of parliament or the dissolution of opposition parties and the military intervention in politics (military coup or martial law or military suppression: kill or arrest) and  the political-military intervention of  foreign actors in domestic politics such as support for the authoritarian regime or the dissolution of parliament or the suppression of internal actors:kill or arrest.

Hamed Tavakoli Darestani,
Volume 15, Issue 60 (8-2022)
Abstract

Literary criticism and theory, due to its interdisciplinary approach, often encompasses literary, philosophical, social, and historical concepts. This makes understanding theories and applying them to literary texts complex and difficult. Against this background, Issa Amankhani's book "A New Look at Literary Theory" (1400) is an original and critical study that aims to explain and refine literary theories, sources, and also the application of these theories in literary texts with a new approach and in simple language. The main principle and premise of the book is that literary theories have emerged through "self-grounded authoritarianism" and the emergence of any "theory" is due to its "parallel work" and "opposition" with the theory. Therefore, the basic premise of the book is based on the emergence of "anti-authoritarian" theories, and based on this, all literary theories are divided into three approaches or three subgroups of author/subject-oriented theories. It divides the anti-author/subject theories and the anti-structural theories and classifies them into one of the three approaches mentioned above on the basis of the "dominant element" and "family resemblance" of each theory. However, the approach of the new foundation of the book, which, besides its value and originality, comes from the innovative mind of the writer, critic and inquisitor, suffers from frequent simplifications and reductionisms, limitations and finally "contradictions" in the course of writing. "Fundamental" that we will explain in detail the various aspects in the rest of the article. The present article, while reading and carefully examining the said book; It suggests and shows that the respected author, in the next editions, even if possible, points such as the book as a textbook, more flexibility, avoiding restrictions on categories, comprehensiveness and avoiding simplification and reduction. - Zeid's diligence.
Extended abstract
1. Introduction
Literary criticism and theory, due to its interdisciplinary approach, often encompasses literary, philosophical, social, and historical concepts. This makes understanding theories and applying them to literary texts complex and difficult. Against this background, Issa Amankhani's book "A New Look at Literary Theory" (1400) is an original and critical study that aims to explain and refine literary theories, sources, and also the application of these theories in literary texts with a new approach and in simple language. The main principle and premise of the book is that literary theories have emerged through "self-grounded authoritarianism" and the emergence of any "theory" is due to its "parallel work" and "opposition" with the theory. Therefore, the basic premise of the book is based on the emergence of "anti-authoritarian" theories, and based on this, all literary theories are divided into three approaches or three subgroups of author/subject-oriented theories. It divides the anti-author/subject theories and the anti-structural theories and classifies them into one of the three approaches mentioned above on the basis of the "dominant element" and "family resemblance" of each theory. However, the approach of the new foundation of the book, which, besides its value and originality, comes from the innovative mind of the writer, critic and inquisitor, suffers from frequent simplifications and reductionisms, limitations and finally "contradictions" in the course of writing. "Fundamental" that we will explain in detail the various aspects in the rest of the article. The present article, while reading and carefully examining the said book; It suggests and shows that the respected author, in the next editions, even if possible, points such as the book as a textbook, more flexibility, avoiding restrictions on categories, comprehensiveness and avoiding simplification and reduction. - Zeid's diligence.
2-Theoretical framework
Based on the theoretical and philosophical foundations of literary theories, the present article has criticized the views, opinions and divisions of the book "A new look at literary theory" written by Isa Amankhani.
3- Research method
This article is based on a library study and was written with a descriptive-analytical method. The present article is written based on "sympathetic" dialectic and dialogue and "critical" attitude and avoiding "sentimentalism" in order to "scientifically" explain some ambiguities, shortcomings and conflicts in the book.
4- Findings of research and discussion
The book "A New Look at Literary Theory" is one of the critical and scholarly books on literary theories that aims to analyze, review and classify literary theories with a new approach. Through discussions and new classifications, this book has thoughtful words about literary theories. However, the fact that it is new leads some parts of the book to be questioned. By finding some common elements in literary theories and relying on the greatest "family resemblance" that the theories have with each other, Amankhani intends to divide all modern literary theories into three subgroups of "subject" theories: Author-Centered," "Subject/Author-Anti-Author," and "Anti-Structuralist." At first glance, this categorization leads the audience, especially students, to encounter specific, revised, and transparent discussions. But this approach of the book ultimately leads to simplification, generalization, restriction, inflexibility, reductionism, and distortion of the chronological and temporal line of theories. With its new approach and through the classifications it presents, the aforementioned book needs to be put through its paces and will eventually, if its approach is accepted, become a comprehensive and consensus-based "textbook" for students. This is because the author's perception of the theories and their classification into only one of the three approaches mentioned, as shown throughout the article, causes many conflicts and contradictions.
5-Conclusion
It is suggested that the respected author, in the next editions, pay attention to points such as whether or not the book is a textbook, more flexibility in demarcating and delimiting theories, avoiding restrictions on categories, comprehensiveness and avoiding simplification.
References:
Eagleton, Terry (2013), Introduction to Literary Theory, translated by Abbas Mokhbar, 6th edition, Tehran: Nash-e-Karzan.
Bertens, Hans (1391), Basics of Literary Theory, translated by Mohammad Reza Abolqasmi, 3rd edition, Tehran: Mahi.
Cohen, Tams (2014), The structure of scientific revolutions, translated by Saeed Zibakalam, 5th edition, Tehran: Samit.
Schleiermacher, Friedrich, 1998, Hermeneutics and Criticism and Other Writings; Translated and edited by Andrew Bowie; first published, United Kingdom, by Cambridge University.
Terdiman, Richard, 1989, Discourse/Counter-Discourse, The Theory and Practice of Symbolic Resistance in Nineteenth-Century France, Cornell University Press.
 

Volume 23, Issue 2 (4-2016)
Abstract


  
This article attempts to explain democratization in Iran through an elite-oriented approach. According to this approach, the success and failure of democratization depends on the political elite strategy. My argument is that the fate of democratization is determined by elite strategies. If their strategy is considered suppressive, an authoritarian cycle will take place in the transition stage, but if the political elite strategy is considered non-suppressive, the index of democratic transition increases. In this study, the political elites are divided into two groups: conservatives and reformists. The analysis method is historical-narrative technique. The empirical findings indicate that whenever the hardliners inside the government are stronger than the opposition groups, they constrain the democratization by suppressing the opposition (moderates and reformists), which leads to a decrease in the index of democratic transition, as exemplified in the 13th parliamentary in 1941. Whenever the reformers are stronger than the conservatives and they are allowed to participate in elections, the index of democratic transition tends to increase, as shown in the 17th parliament under the rule of Mușaddiq and the 7th presidential elections after the 1979 Revolution. The data demonstrates that democratization is still fragile in Iran and it’s the fate would be determined by the relative power of reformists and conservatives.
  As a result, I argue that Iran’s democratic transition is fragile and it’s the fate is determined by the relative power of reformists and conservatives.
 
 
 
 

  
 
 
 
  

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