1
Department of Political Science, Ra.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
2
Department of Political Science, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. khezri2014@gmail.com
10.22034/ipsa.2026.561
Abstract
Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s theory of political judgment and multi-wave data from the World Values Survey (1999–2022), this article conceptualizes Iran’s political crisis not primarily as an institutional failure or ideological conflict, but as a structural erosion of intersubjective judging capacity. In Arendt’s account, political judgment is a reflective capacity exercised within human plurality and a shared world, requiring an “enlarged mentality” and the preservation of common understanding; it cannot be reduced to moral absolutism or instrumental rationality. Empirical findings show a sustained decline in tolerance of dissent and social trust in Iran over the past two decades, alongside an increasing tendency to evaluate the legitimacy of protest actions through identity-based and moral alignment rather than public criteria. Path analysis indicates that these patterns are largely mediated by the “moralization of difference”—a process through which political disagreements are reframed as non-negotiable moral deviations. Comparative analysis with Turkey and Egypt highlights the greater intensity and synchronicity of these dynamics in Iran. The article argues that, without restoring shared political judgment and curbing the moralization of politics, institutional reforms are likely to remain fragile, while political life continues to reproduce cycles of exclusion and distrust.
Anjomrooz,M and Khezri,M . (2026). The Crisis of Political Judgment and the Failure to Form Common Understanding in Iranian Society: A Re-reading from Hannah Arendt's Perspective. (e561). Research Letter of Political Science, (), e561 doi: 10.22034/ipsa.2026.561
MLA
Anjomrooz,M , and Khezri,M . "The Crisis of Political Judgment and the Failure to Form Common Understanding in Iranian Society: A Re-reading from Hannah Arendt's Perspective" .e561 , Research Letter of Political Science, , , 2026, e561. doi: 10.22034/ipsa.2026.561
HARVARD
Anjomrooz M, Khezri M. (2026). 'The Crisis of Political Judgment and the Failure to Form Common Understanding in Iranian Society: A Re-reading from Hannah Arendt's Perspective', Research Letter of Political Science, (), e561. doi: 10.22034/ipsa.2026.561
CHICAGO
M Anjomrooz and M Khezri, "The Crisis of Political Judgment and the Failure to Form Common Understanding in Iranian Society: A Re-reading from Hannah Arendt's Perspective," Research Letter of Political Science, (2026): e561, doi: 10.22034/ipsa.2026.561
VANCOUVER
Anjomrooz M, Khezri M. The Crisis of Political Judgment and the Failure to Form Common Understanding in Iranian Society: A Re-reading from Hannah Arendt's Perspective. Ipsa Journal. 2026;():e561 (In Persian). doi: 10.22034/ipsa.2026.561
