تمدد الفكر الحداثي في العقل العربي، رأي طه حسين في الفلسفة اليونانية نموذجًا

The Expansion of Modernist Thought in the Arab Mind – Taha Hussein’s View on Greek Philosophy as a Model

Abstract

Western modern thought established itself globally alongside colonial expansion and geographical discoveries. This resulted in a profound cultural shock for Eastern societies, particularly the Islamic world, which had long maintained a strong sense of identity and engaged in centuries of cultural and intellectual competition with the West. The initial Muslim responses to modernity were often extreme—ranging from total rejection to unquestioning acceptance. A more balanced perspective only developed later, viewing modernity as a human intellectual experience that must be critically evaluated, selectively accepted or rejected. This paper presents Taha Hussein as a case study of one such Muslim response to modernity. Among the earliest Arab thinkers to embrace and advocate modern Western thought, Hussein strongly supported its introduction into the Arab intellectual world. The paper specifically examines his glorification of Greek philosophy, which he saw as the historical foundation of modern thought. He idealized its rationalism and considered it a guiding framework for the modern Arab world. It further explores how colonial influence and Western cultural dominance reshaped Arab intellectual discourse, and how Hussein’s  fascination  with  Greek

philosophy, especially in his early works, reflected this transformation. The paper also investigates the psychological and cultural complexity of Hussein’s identity—shaped by both his traditional education at Al-Azhar and his Western academic training—which contributed to an evident intellectual duality in his writings. The study concludes that many of Hussein’s claims—especially his assertions about the Greek roots of Arab intellectual identity—were exaggerated and require critical reassessment. Through analyzing key works such as Leaders of Thought, Critique and Reform, and From Afar, the paper offers fresh insight into his philosophical orientation, especially in light of themes like cultural borrowing, epistemological sovereignty, and the tension between tradition and modernity.