Pathways to Progress: Introductions to Foundations and Policies

The Centre for Arab Unity Studies published the book Pathways to Progress: Introductions to Foundations and Policies, by Dr. Abdelilah Belkeziz.

The titles of Renaissance, Modernization, and Progress represented major issues that occupied a wide space in the theses, intellectual works, goals and political projects of many Arab thinkers, elites and political movements since the nineteenth century. Those titles, overlapping in many aspects, reflected the extent of the civilizational gap between Arab societies, on the one hand, and Europe on the other, with its scientific and technological revolution and its renaissance and enlightenment ideas, which are turning into a civilized pattern that includes various intellectual, economic, social, civil, cultural, legislative and institutional paths in its modern countries. It also reflected the aspiration of those elites to bring about a transformation in the Arab countries that would achieve their renaissance and unity and bridge the civilizational gap between the Arabs and the West. However, despite the passage of nearly two centuries since the emergence of the era of Arab renaissance ideas and reform and modernization projects, these ideas and projects have not been translated into real and comprehensive advancement in Arab societies that places these societies in the ranks of developed countries or on the path of comprehensive progress.

In this book, Abdelilah Belkeziz starts from analyzing the factors that thwarted the renaissance intellectual project and Arab modernization projects in achieving actual progress in the Arab countries at the various political, economic, social and cultural levels. He expands on the paths of progress in the Arab world and highlights titles of political, economic, social, educational and cultural reform required to achieve this. He included these topics in several chapters related to political rationality, the need for an Arab project, tolerance and recognition, equality or liberation from patriarchal culture, education and cognitive development, scientific research and its centrality, and the advancement and development of the Arabic language.