Third Generation of Politicians in Iran: A Shift in Occidentalism, Clerical Authority, and Islamization of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article examines the educational background in humanities and social sciences of the third-generation revolutionary politicians in Iran. It explores the authoritative sources they rely on, their primary references in social sciences, their relationships with social science institutions and new political factions. Scholars have highlighted Occidentalism, the portrayal of the West as hegemonist and coloniser, as central to post-revolutionary Iran’s and other Muslim countries’ approach to humanities and social sciences. This kind of Occidentalism
leads to de-Westernisation and removal of negative aspects of modernism in order to align science with Islamic teachings. However, this study reveals a shift from de-Westernisation and critique of modernism to another form of Occidentalism among third generation of revolutionary politicians. This form promotes the complete rejection of sciences and the dehumanisation of the West as the centre of lust. The findings are based on discourse analysis
of publications by newly elected parliamentary representatives affiliated with revolutionary factions. This shift is attributed to two major changes. First, there is a move from systematic theoretical critique of modernism, particularly Heideggerian and Marxist critiques, to an eclectic mix of theories and a decolonial approach. Second, there is a shift from focusing on
the scholastic knowledge of the Qum seminary to prioritising a pietistic and ascetic approach over scholastic Islamic jurisprudence.