Alexis Carrel’s Alternative for the Sciences of Western Civilization: Reinterpreting the Core Message of Man, the Unknown

تاریخ و فرهنگ

Article 1, Volume 56, Issue 1 - Serial Number 112, September 2024, Pages 11-39   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jhistory.2024.89013.1317

Author

Hamed Khani (Farhang Mehrvash)^*

Associate Professor, Department of Theology, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran

Abstract

Alexis Carrel’s Man, the Unknown is one of the most widely read works of the 20^th century. The book garnered attention worldwide after its publication in 1314 A.S./1935 A.D., including in Iran. The author’s fame as the winner of Nobel Prize in Medicine added credibility to the book’s claims and led to many intellectual movements with diverse ideologies to cite it as a reference. The book remained a subject of global discussions until late 20^th century, and evidence of its widespread influence is still found in various parts of the world, such as Iran. Almost 90 years after its publication, disagreements about understanding the core message of the book still persist. Supporters and critics have highlighted or neglected certain messages. For instance, some Persian translators have distorted parts of the content. Given the existing ambiguities and the extensive references made to the book, scholarship on the topic falls short of understanding the fundamental ideas of the book. In addition, the cultural context of the book’s formation, the sociocultural consequences of its publication on a global level, and the various criticisms addressed toward its content have been scarcely analyzed. The present study aims to take the lead in making an effort towards advancing these goals by conducting an interpretive and conceptual analysis of the book’s content, in order to achieve a more accurate understanding of the author’s fundamental ideas.

Keywords

History of humanities; Science of the Mind; Science of the spirit; Eugenics; criticism of humanities; qualitative research methods

References

Mihrvash, Farhang. “Naẓarīyah-yi Insān dar Ilāhīyāt Irān Muʿāṣir: Bāzkhvānī Dark-hā az Insān Mawjūd Nāshinākhtah”. Pazhūhishnāmah-yi Intiqādī Mutūn va Barnāmah-hā-yi ʿUlūm Insānī, yr. 23, no. 2 (summer 2023/1402): 33-60.