Iranian perceptions and a wider world

Abstract

Abstract Since the advent of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, most outside observers have explained Iranian developments exclusively in terms of Islam, as in the past they attributed them to Iran's imperial traditions. They have also tended to see Iran's Islamic Revolution in its present form as both inevitable and irreversible. Yet none of these judgments have been completely correct. Rather, they have reflected neglect of those essential factors that over the centuries have shaped Iranians’ perceptions of themselves and the outside world and that have determined their national aspirations. Also neglected have been both the gap between elite and mass perceptions during most of Iran's modern history and the resulting tensions within Iranian society. In fact, a number of essential factors, including Iran's geopolitical conditions and its historical experience, have affected Iranian perceptions. Paramount have been Islam, nationalism, and the search for social justice. In addition, Iran's recent social and p...