Dr. Ali Mirsepassi of New York University: “The Imaginary Invention of a Nation: Iran in the 1930s and 1980s”
This lecture will discuss a specific "imaginary" change in the conception of Iran as a "modern" nation. Dr. Mirsepassi will focus on a scholarly debate regarding the legacy of French philosopher Henry Bergson, to better reflect on the place of Persian Erfan and Islamic mysticism in the formation of modern Iran throughout the 1930s. He will also discuss a public "ideological debate" in 1980 on how to "reconcile" the Islamic "spiritual" tradition with modern secular ideologies in Iran's post-revolutionary period.
Dr Mirsepassi will argue that a clear shift has occurred, from the idea of Iran as a modern, cosmopolitan nation, in the post-Mashruth period, towards a new national social imaginary, defined by religious identity and the “national” tradition. This shift has given rise to a unifying narrative at the national level, shared by a substantial majority of Iranians, across political, cultural and ideological divides, as well as multiple sensitivities. These included secular and religious opposition currents, as well as the ruling elites themselves.
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