Research Letter of Political Science

The Dialectic Theory versus the Ideal of Duality;A Lived Experience in the Islamic Republic

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Zahra Ahmadipour 1
Tohid Naghshara 2

1 Political Geography, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Tarbiat Modares University

https://doi.org/10.22034/ipsa.2025.543
Abstract
This article compares the concepts of "dialectic" and "duality" in analyzing the historical and social transformations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The dialectic theory, rooted in Hegel and Marx's philosophies, views changes as the result of contradictions and conflicts, while the duality theory emphasizes the interaction and complementarity of elements. By examining various periods after the Islamic Revolution, it becomes evident that the current system has been shaped more by the logic of conflict and suppression. This includes class, political, and economic contradictions that have been managed through elimination or control rather than resolution. The duality theory, often used as an ideological discourse to justify the status quo, has failed to provide practical solutions for resolving these contradictions. The article argues that understanding the complexities of modern society and addressing current crises require a reevaluation of approaches and acceptance of contradictions as a natural part of social transformations. It suggests that dialectics, as a robust analytical method, can offer a more accurate explanation of socio-political changes and contribute to developing scientific and realistic discourses. Additionally, the article highlights the inadequacy of the duality theory in managing real-world conflicts and proposes that embracing dialectical thinking could lead to more effective strategies for social and political change.

Keywords

Dialectics
Duality
Lived Experience
Islamic Republic
Ideals and Reality

Subjects

  • Abrahamian, E. (1982). Iran between two revolutions. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400853836
  • Abrahamian, E. (2008). A history of modern Iran. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800973
  • Abrahamian, E. (2018). *The coup: 1953, the CIA, and the roots of modern U.S.-Iranian relations*. The New Press.
  • Adorno, T. W. (1973). Negative dialectics (E. B. Ashton, Trans.). Continuum.
  • Algar, H. (1988). Religion and state in Iran, 1785–1906: The role of the ulama in the Qajar period. University of California Press.
  • Arjomand, S. A. (1988). The turban for the crown: The Islamic revolution in Iran. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195048036.001.0001
  • Bottomore, T. B. (1991). A dictionary of Marxist thought. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Chehabi, H. E. (1990). Iran: State and society in transition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494879
  • Chittick, W. C. (1989). The Sufi path of knowledge: Ibn al-Arabi's metaphysics of imagination. State University of New York Press.
  • Ehteshami, A., & Zweiri, M. (2008). Iran's foreign policy: From Khatami to Ahmadinejad. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203933497
  • Engels, F. (1886). Ludwig Feuerbach and the outcome of classical German philosophy. International Publishers.
  • Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action: Reason and the rationalization of society (Vol. 1, T. McCarthy, Trans.). Beacon Press.
  • Halliday, F. (1979). Iran: Dictatorship and development. Penguin Books.
  • Halliday, F. (1995). Iran, dictatorship and development. Penguin Books.
  • Hegel, G. W. F. (1807). Phenomenology of spirit (A. V. Miller, Trans.). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/actrade/9780198750143.book.1
  • Hegel, G. W. F. (1820). Elements of the philosophy of right (H. B. Nisbet, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511808203
  • Hiro, D. (1991). The longest war: The Iran-Iraq military conflict. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203030347
  • Hosseini, S. A. (2019). Iran's economy under sanctions: Challenges and opportunities. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429444436
  • Kamrava, M. (2008). Iran's intellectual revolution. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511790827
  • Katzman, K. (1992). The war's impact on Iraq: International perspectives. Westview Press.
  • Keddie, N. R. (1981). Roots of revolution: An interpretive history of modern Iran. Yale University Press.
  • Keddie, N. R. (2013). Modern Iran: Roots and results of revolution. Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300191640
  • Keshavarzian, A. (2007). Bazaar and state in Iran: The politics of the Tehran marketplace. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511619317
  • Maloney, S. (2015). Iran's political economy since the revolution. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107338573
  • Marx, K. (1867). Capital: A critique of political economy (Vol. 1). Penguin Classics.
  • Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1848). The communist manifesto. Penguin Classics.
  • Matin-Asgari, A. (2013). The Iranian reform movement: Political and social change in the Islamic Republic. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203738144
  • Matin-Asgari, A. (2019). Contemporary Iran: Political history and challenges of governance. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429489949
  • Milani, M. (2011). The making of Iran's Islamic revolution: From monarchy to Islamic republic. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203833269
  • Moshirzadeh, H. (2007). Iran's national security policy in the post-revolutionary era. University Press of Florida.
  • Murata, S., & Chittick, W. C. (1994). The vision of Islam. Paragon House.
  • Nasr, S. H. (1987). Traditional Islam in the modern world. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203030347
  • Nasr, S. H. (2001). Islam: Religion, history, and civilization. HarperOne.
  • Pinkard, T. (2000). Hegel: A biography. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511807859
  • Pillar, P. R. (2018). Negotiating peace: Iran nuclear deal and its critics. Georgetown University Press.
  • Ramazani, R. K. (2008). Iran's foreign policy: The quest for self-reliance. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-07282-9
  • Sreberny, A., & Khiabany, G. (2010). Blogistan: The Internet and politics in Iran. I.B. Tauris. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780755601897
  • Tucker, R. C. (1978). The Marx-Engels reader. W. W. Norton & Company.
Research Letter of Political Science
Volume 20, Issue 2
No. 78
Spring 2025
Pages 7-40

  • Receive Date 25 March 2025
  • Revise Date 06 June 2025
  • Accept Date 20 June 2025

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us