Abdolkarim Soroush quotes

We coin concepts and we use them to analyse and explain nature and society. But we seem to forget, midway, that these concepts are our own constructs and start equating them with reality. (Abdolkarim Soroush)
People first concern themselves with meeting their basic needs; only afterwards, do they pursue any higher needs.
Abdolkarim Soroush
If a group of people feels that it has been humiliated and that its honour has been trampled underfoot, it will want to express its identity and this expression of an identity will take different shapes and forms.
Abdolkarim Soroush
In order for answers to become clear, the questions have to be clear.
Abdolkarim Soroush
Establishing an equilibrium between the Islam of truth and Islam as an identity is one of the most difficult tasks of religious intellectuals.
Abdolkarim Soroush
Compromise has a negative connotation.
Abdolkarim Soroush
As a result of the awareness and consciousness of decline, an awareness and consciousness of a national ethnicity or an Islamic identity also came into being.
Abdolkarim Soroush
We must break problems down into small, digestible bits. We must define the concepts that we use and explain what components they consist of. We must tackle small problems.
Abdolkarim Soroush
In many of the things that people do, they themselves are the centre of attention, but they inscribe some other name on their banner.
Abdolkarim Soroush
Energy is a concept that has been coined by physicists. There is no observable thing known as energy anywhere.
Abdolkarim Soroush
Religion forbids us from assuming a God-like character. This is especially true in politics and government, where limiting the power of the state, division of powers, and the doctrine of checks and balances are established in order to prevent accumulation of power that might lead to such Godly claims. (Abdolkarim Soroush)
After the 9/11 incidents, Islam has become a big question mark among westerners, especially Americans. The mass media constantly raise the issue of relationship between Islam and terrorism.
Abdolkarim Soroush