EX OKZIDENTE LUX

What are the preconditions for freedom of thought in the Arab and Western traditions? What forms of knowledge production has Arab thought engendered. What norms has it legitimated and what boundaries has it transcended?

The Moroccan philosopher Mohammed Al-Jabri is one of the most important contemporary theorists of an enlightened modernity. He is considered one of the most influential critical voices on the identity, history and politics of the region. His work Critique of Arab Reason (1984 - 2001) triggered a controversial discussion in the Arab world. Now, for the first time, an introduction to this work is available in German. What relevance do his theses have in the present political and social context? Why has his work been ignored here so far? Can his theses provide new impulses for the dialogue between Europe and the Arab world? On this evening, experts in Islamic Studies, journalists and experts in the fields political theory and philosophy will be discussing these questions.

With Sonja Hegasy (Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin, Gudrun Krämer (student of Islam, FU Berlin), Stefan Weidner (journalist, author), Vincent von Wroblewsky (philosopher, translator)

Moderator: Jörg Lau (Die Zeit)

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A co-operation project between the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and

In the series Word Worlds writers come 'to word' from all over the world to converse with Berlin audiences on topics ranging from poetry, the spoken word, through to novels and journalistic writing.