Abstract
This article examines two key trends in the history of contemporary Iranian thought: first, the dynamics of theories in the process of “travel” between cultural and geographical contexts and the semantic transformation that results from it; second, the role of translation in the entry of ideas into Iran and the crisis-causing consequences of contextless and imitative translation. The first section, relying on Edward Said’s concept of “the journey of theories,” shows that concepts are reinterpreted and recreated in the transition from one context to another; a prominent example of this is the migration of the idea of ”Westernization” from Heidegger’s intellectual system to the Iranian and then Indian horizons.
The second part, analyzing the experience of translation in the humanities in Iran, argues that neglect of the historical and epistemological contexts of concepts has led to theoretical discontinuity and a weakening of the capacity for theory-building. The conclusion of the two parts presents a measured and critical picture of the path of transfer of ideas in Iran that increases the possibility of creative and contextualized dialogue.
