Ahmad Kasravi on economics

Abstract

Ahmad Kasravi (1890-1946) had a great impact on the intellectual transformation of Iran, and his writings continue to influence the modem generation of Iranians. His enduring importance is evident in the continual reissue of his books, in the number of books, dissertations and articles published about him in Persian, English, Russian, German and other languages,' and in the testimony of many intellectuals of diverse persuasion.' The attention Kasravi has received should come as no surprise. What may need some justification is a study of his ideas on economics - the subject of this article. Kasravi was not an economist; indeed, he noted that he did not know economics.3 There are two important reasons for discussing Kasravi's economic ideas. First, if economics was his weak point, an exploration of his economic ideas may tell us more about the limits of his method of inquiry and his thinking in other areas. In order to have a complete picture of Kasravi's system of thought, one must scrutinize all aspects of his life and work. More important, we may ask that beyond the criticism of Shiism, Sufism, Bahiism, superstition of all kinds, and classical Persian poetry, what did Kasravi envisage as a working model of social life in Iran? The answer to this question hinges on understanding his economic ideas. It is also in this sphere that flaws and inconsistencies in his ideal model can best be observed. Among the scholars who have written about Kasravi, only one was an economist. Most studies of his work have either overlooked his economic ideas or simply summarized their salient features.4 The exception is an article by Katouzian, which reviews the book Kar va Pisheh va Pool (Work, Employment and Money) but does not discuss the economic issues raised in any of Kasravi's other writings. Katouzian's approach is to take Kasravi's ideas on economics and compare them to textbook economics or to Adam Smith's ideas. His Procrustean approach misses the point. Are we to learn economics from Kasravi's writings, or are we testing Kasravi's economic knowledge? Either way it is a futile exercise, since Kasravi himself noted that he had not studied economics - his work criticized the existing economic system and suggested alternative arrangements.