Revised and extended article: The Last Muslim Intellectual, The Life and Legacy of Jalal Al-e Ahmad: Political economy Approach

Abstract

Jalal Al-e Ahmad was a leading Iranian writer and critic, best known for his long essay, Gharbzadegi or Weststruckness, which many critics controversially regard as a harbinger of the Islamic revolution. There is no doubt that, willy-nilly, what was believed to be his rejection of Western civilization was posthumously very influential in shaping public opinion. Dabashi's largely uncritical biography is useful in its description of Al-e Ahmad's life but is flawed in its interpretation and analysis of his works. In particular, it ignores Al-e Ahmad's extensive resort to conspiratorial theories and his cavalier treatment of not just Iranian but world history to prove his case. This article could be accounted as a new analysis of the political economy of Ale-e Ahmad as well.