Modern Arab Political Thought

Massive political protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen,
commonly dubbed as the “Arab Spring,” have gripped the world’s attention since
December 2010, especially when they succeeded in overthrowing three of the most
enduring Arab dictators. Since then, academics, news commentators, and lay people alike
have offered various explanations for this seemingly unexpected turn of events by
focusing mainly on contemporary socioeconomic, political and cultural causes. This
course offers its own take on revolutionary politics in the Arab world through examining
the history of ideas that have animated Arab society since the time of the “Arab
Renaissance” in the mid 19th century, through colonial and postcolonial times, and up until the present