The Idea of Persia

The book explores the notion of what it is to be Persian and the idea of Persia as a means of investigating the soul of this fascinating nation.

Jahanbegloo’s essay searches for a new ideology to replace the tired old dogmas.

The Idea of Persia could not have been published at a more fitting time. Jahanbegloo’s deep and philosophical reading of Foroughi as a multi-faceted intellectual and statesman offers not just a biography but a reintroduction. Jahanbegloo doesn’t just describe Foroughi; he resurrects him as a model for a new generation of political thinkers and statesmen. … It invites young Iranians and curious minds globally to consider what kind of political selfhood is possible when informed by culture, reason, and depth. Reading this book is not just recommended; it is necessary. For Iranians seeking clarity in the fog of today’s disorientation, it offers a sense of anchorage. For non-Iranians seeking to understand what Iran was, is and could be, this is a gateway to the philosophical soul of a nation often obscured by headlines, caricatures, and politics. The Idea of Persia is a mirror: it reflects what was possible then and whispers what might still be reclaimed.

Ramin Jahanbegloo is an Iranian-Canadian political philosopher. He is presently the Executive Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Nonviolence and Peace Studies and the Vice-Dean of the School of Law at Jindal Global University- Delhi-India.

He received his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy, History and Political Science and later his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Sorbonne. In 1993 he taught at the Academy of Philosophy in Tehran, and has also been a researcher at the French Institute for Iranian Studies and a fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, as well as teaching in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto from 1997-2001.

He later served as the head of the Department of Contemporary Studies of the Cultural Research Centre in Tehran and, in 2006-07, was Rajni Kothari Professor of Democracy at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in New Delhi, India. In April 2006 Dr Jahanbegloo was arrested in Tehran Airport and charged with preparing a velvet revolution in Iran. He was placed in solitary confinement for four months and released on bail.

Dr Jahanbegloo was an Associated Professor of Political Science and a Research Fellow in the Centre for Ethics at University of Toronto from 2008-2012 and an Associate Professor of Political Science at York University in Toronto from 2012 - 2015. He is also a member of the advisory board of PEN Canada. He is the winner of the Peace Prize from the United Nations Association in Spain (2009) for his extensive academic works in promoting dialogue between cultures and his advocacy for non-violence, and more recently the winner of the Josep Palau i Fabre International Essay Prize. Ramin Jahanbegloo is also the founder of the non-violent movement 'Non-violence Without Borders'.