Ali Al-Wardi and his critique of the human mind (*)

Abstract:

Ali Al-Wardi was influenced by the philosophical ideas that criticized the assumption that the nature of the human mind is fixed. These ideas come from his reading of Ibn Khaldun, Sigmund Freud and Karl Mannheim. He reinterpreted their ideas of the mind and applied it to Iraqi society and the Iraqi mind. He believes that human nature is egocentric and determined in most actions, motivated by the subconscious. The role of the mind is to justify human behavior. The mind is one-sided and biased and is untrustworthy. It is only an organ that aids humans in their quest for survival. Also, the mind has a limited capacity and is surrounded by a dense rim of values, beliefs and interests. Al-Wardi has launched a relentless campaign against the Aristotelian logic and against reason and rationality. Despite his rational analysis, he could not free himself from the mindset he identified as a farce and did not distinguish between the productive and the instrumental mind.

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Keywords:

Ibn Khaldun

Aristotelian logic

Sigmund Freud

Karl Mannheim

The unconscious relative social knowledge

Criticism of the Iraqi mind