Hamid Reza Yousefi
Interculturality and History
Perspectives for a global philosophy
Interculturality and History: Perspectives for a Global Philosophy Existing European-Western historiographies of philosophy are a repository of local histories, insofar as they neglect non-European philosophies. With his intercultural philosophical approach, the author honors previous lines of thought in the historiography of philosophy, critically dividing them into narrow and broad. His observations oppose any form of absolutization of positions that claim sole validity. By outlining a historiography of philosophy, the author develops new perspectives for a global philosophy, based on an open concept of reason. He understands cultures as dynamically changing systems of meaning and orientation. With his approach, he aims to build a bridge between different traditions of thought and, at the same time, to initiate a new dynamic of dialogic understanding. This work is not only aimed at students of philosophy or cultural studies and history, but also makes the understanding of the complex structures of the history of philosophy accessible to interested laypeople.
ISBN 978-3-94140-033-7
320 pages, paperback
22.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Introduction to Islamic Philosophy
The history of thought from its beginnings to the present
2nd revised edition
Hamid Reza Yousefi impressively revives Islamic philosophy from the ashes of oblivion.
The easy-to-understand language and numerous portrait drawings of the philosophers make reading a pleasure. A selection of 32 philosophers and scientists provides insight into an intellectual history of astonishing vitality. The book encompasses Islamic philosophy from its beginnings to the present day. The clearly structured, chronological presentation of the most important phases and schools allows even readers with no prior knowledge a quick introduction and overview. Anyone seeking the foundation for a comprehensive picture of Islam will find it here.
ISBN 978-3-82524-523-8
240 pages, paperback
14.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Basic concepts of intercultural communication
This book provides an easy-to-understand introduction to the basic concepts of intercultural communication and shows how dialogues between different cultures can succeed.
Dealing with others presupposes the question of one's own identity, which determines all other questions. How is understanding possible? What is the meaning of comparisons? What is tolerance? Numerous examples and diagrams facilitate access to the topic.
ISBN 978-3-82524-127-8
126 pages, paperback
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Battlegrounds of thought
Practice of intercultural communication
2nd fully revised and expanded edition.
Hamid Reza Yousefi competently and in easily understandable language introduces the reader to the practice of intercultural communication. Based on his theory of the practice of communicative thinking, he explains not only the functional areas of human thought, but also existing concepts of universality and particularity in communication, as well as essential basic concepts of intercultural thought and action. He comprehensively and concisely presents the reader with the basic structure of intercultural communication practice, as well as the practical barriers and psychological components of this communication. He demonstrates that every type of communication depends on specific ways of thinking, uses of thought, and cognitive performance, which vary from person to person. This is essential reading for teachers and students, as well as theorists and practitioners in the field of communication.
ISBN 978-3-82524-997-7
221 pages, paperback
17.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Intercultural Communication. A practice-oriented introduction.
In an age of globalization, which influences and changes many dimensions of our lives, there is a fundamental need for revision in the debate surrounding interculturality and intercultural communication. New approaches must be found to create sustainable communication with intercultural intent and to convey it in an educationally appropriate manner. Hamid Reza Yousefi approaches this highly topical topic with a practice-oriented and didactically sophisticated approach. He shows how to break down the intercultural barriers that often hinder or even prevent dialogue. The opportunities, but also the problems, of intercultural communication are discussed, paving the way for a new form of dialogue.
138 pages, hardcover
39.90 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Interculturality: An interdisciplinary introduction
This textbook is the first introduction to the topic of interculturality on the German market. Didactically and clearly presented, it introduces theories that attempt to account for changing cultural contexts. To understand what culture is, it first analyzes some modern cultural concepts. It then introduces the structure of interculturality as an academic discipline. To position interculturality in the current debate, the approaches of transcultural and multiculturalism are presented. Finally, it explores why intercultural communication often fails to achieve the desired goal. Topics discussed include the functions of power and violence, and the geographicization of thought, according to which rational thought is European-Western, while mystical-holistic thought is supposed to be at home in other regions of the world. The book thus succeeds in presenting the topic in a way that consistently avoids a Eurocentric view.
ISBN 978-35342-3-824-8
142 pages, paperback
12.78 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
The stages of thought
New horizons of philosophy
The author discusses various contemporary cultural theories in accessible language, analyzes the meaning and function of philosophizing, and introduces Islamic philosophy. Without assuming any prior knowledge, the reader is provided with a solid introduction to the structure, methods, and tasks of intercultural philosophy. The work opens up new horizons of thought and is suitable for self-study. It is structured through didactic presentation with examples, attempted explanations, note boxes, and illustrations. Exercises complete each section. This textbook is aimed not only at students of philosophy and cultural studies, but also at interested laypeople who wish to expand and deepen their knowledge of other cultures.
ISBN 978-3-8309-7821-3
260 pages, ebook
21.99 euros
Ina Braun/Hermann-Josef Scheidgen (eds.)
Interculturality - Why?
Hamid Reza Yousefi and Peter Gerdsen in conversation
Interculturality - Why? This question cannot be answered directly. It leads further to explore its origins and development. The end of the colonial era marked the beginning of the historical necessity to think about interculturality. This book presents a colorful kaleidoscope of approaches to interculturality, unfolding questions and offering solutions based on various practical problems using a variety of methodological approaches. In doing so, it conveys knowledge not only about the structure, subject matter, and purpose of interculturality, but also about politics, society, economics, the present, and history. This book is aimed at anyone interested in a scientific-theoretical foundation of interculturality, its tools, and its subject areas.
ISBN 978-3-88309-449-6
179 pages, paperback
15.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi , Werner Schüßler , Reinhard Schulz , Ulrich Diehl
Karl Jaspers - Basic concepts of his thinking
Although Karl Jaspers is considered one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century, and there is already an internationally established body of research on Jaspers, his work has still not found adequate entry into the historical and systematic teaching of philosophy. This anthology aims to provide, for the first time, an insight into the most important concepts of his thought. The following concepts are addressed: borderline situation, freedom, concept of man, communication, philosophical belief, cipher, evil, truth, reason, enclosure, science, logic, philosophy of language, psychopathology, psychology of worldview, ethics, loneliness, education, politics, tolerance, university, axial age, philosophia perennis, and intercultural philosophy. Jaspers himself coined some of these terms, and they have found lasting entry into philosophy, psychology, and psychopathology. With the other concepts, Jaspers draws on the classical tradition of European philosophy, but transforms and expands them in an original way, not least in the sense of a world philosophy. This volume is not only intended as an introductory compendium for students of philosophy, psychology, social and cultural sciences, and theology, but also aims to facilitate access to Jaspers' philosophy for those interested in philosophy.
ISBN 978-3-941400-34-4
400 pages, paperback
29.80 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi and Harald Seubert (eds.)
Restriction in science and the risk of the new
Challenges and perspectives
From the introduction:
The demand for freedom in teaching and research describes a positive and progressive academic culture with which all universities and research institutes identify. In reality, however, it is characterized by restrictions. A merciless battle has erupted within the faculties. Everyone is carving out a niche for themselves, like a gardener who sows seeds in a certain way, cultivates their flowers according to a specific method, and mercilessly pulls out the perceived weeds to prevent them from infiltrating and contaminating their own crops. Innovations are perceived as a threat, and their initiators are chased away like skunks.
Anyone breaking new ground will have to accept being viewed as an outsider and dilettante, or excluded as a dreamer. The so-called scientific establishment, which receives massive public and private funding, contributes significantly to the fact that innovative minds are closely watched and ultimately denied financial support to develop their ideas. Current science is subject to additional restrictions resulting from large-scale projects and collaborative research. ...
ISBN 978-3-95948-497-8
193 pages, hardcover
35.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi and Ali Radjaie (eds.)
Jalal ad-Din Rumi
Basic concepts of his thinking
The work of the Iranian poet-philosopher Maulana Jalal ad-Din Mohammad Rumi (1207-1273) is considered one of the masterpieces of world literature. In his native Iran, Rumi is honored and esteemed just as much as poet-philosophers Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in Germany, William Shakespeare in England, Dante Alighieri in Italy, or Molière in France. His work combines stories, didactic poems, and fairy tales, as well as parables and aphorisms, connecting the ontology of love with the theology of peace. The contributions address central aspects of Rumi's thought, such as reason, aesthetics, and love, as well as poetry and ideas on eschatology, and describe them in their depth and breadth.
ISBN 978-3-95948-355-1
189 pages, paperback
22.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi, Matthias Langenbahn (eds.)
Anatomy of Islamophobia
How is interreligious dialogue possible?
The rise of Islamophobia can be observed in almost all media and professional discourses in our society that address refugee issues, migrant problems, and acts of violence. In the global discourse on tolerance and acceptance, the increased prevalence of such phobias is leading to numerous conflicting positions.
This anthology is intended as an attempt to provide Islamophobia with the space it deserves for discussion and criticism. The contributions present a variety of different viewpoints in easily understandable language, allowing for a critical examination of questions about the meaning, causes, and consequences of Islamophobia. Through mutual appreciation in the spirit of intercultural tolerance, the contributions see a dialogic opportunity to reduce prejudices and jointly develop models for understanding.
ISBN 978-3-95948-324-7
140 pages, paperback
18.00 euros
Harald Seubert (ed.)
Places of thought
Festschrift for Hamid Reza Yousefi on his 50th birthday
"Beyond any essentialism, I understand cultures as open and dynamically changeable systems of meaning and orientation." "My observations are directed against any form of absolutization of positions that claim universality, which precludes reciprocity and thus the possibility of a philosophical discourse about other positions." "Proceeding contextually means allowing different traditions, each with its own terminology, questions, and approaches to solutions, to be discussed as equal contributions to the discourse from their different positions in order to develop common perspectives." "A dialogue that is not based on appreciative recognition and mutual understanding will never bear fruit." Hamid Reza Yousefi
ISBN 978-3-95948-233-2
383 pages, hardcover
50.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi (ed.)
Paradigms of thinking
Festschrift for Harald Seubert on his 50th birthday
'The philosophical world conversation will continue: skeptical and searching for reasons. It is never partisan, always conversation and self-talk.' 'Thinking has a gravity, a melancholy; it encircles deep wounds, like love—and elevates like only love.' 'Philosophy is more than science and wisdom, and less than both. The child of Poros and Penia.' Harald Seubert
ISBN 978-3-95948-232-5
199 pages, hardcover
40.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Addiction and self-esteem
A comparative analysis using the example of Iran and Germany
Addiction is a major issue worldwide, as it is linked to numerous problems that affect both the addicted individual and their environment and society as a whole. Therefore, addiction is present in all social spheres. However, there is no consensus among experts regarding the causes and the resulting treatment of addiction.
In six chapters, Hamid Reza Yousefi explores the connection between addiction and self-esteem, drawing comparisons between Germany and Iran. The first chapter examines the methodological approach and critically evaluates it. The second chapter deals with the etiology and epidemiology of addiction and attempts to provide the reader with basic knowledge to understand addiction itself and its causes, as well as the cultural differences that exist between Germany and Iran. The third chapter is the introduction to the actual study. It presents the results of interviews with 50 Germans and 50 Iranians. These results are analyzed at the end of the chapter. The fourth chapter again aims to provide the reader with basic knowledge by introducing modern addiction therapy concepts, using four researchers as examples: Wilhelm Feuerlein, Dieter Ladewig, Michael Musalek, and Hilarion Gottfried Petzold. Finally, the fifth chapter addresses the topic that makes Yousefi's study innovative: the connection between addiction and (declined) self-esteem. The author covers everything from the psychology of longing to self-esteem and socialization disorders. The final chapter features the views of directors of relevant addiction treatment facilities, who were also interviewed for this study.
ISBN 978-3-95948-150-2
429 pages, paperback
50.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi and Ina Braun (eds.)
Intercultural Handbook of Cultural Studies
"Fundamentals and Key Terms"
This cultural studies handbook aims to build bridges and promote intercultural education in the spirit of dialogic understanding. It raises awareness and encourages readers to discover the culturally and contextually determined meanings of concepts through in-depth research and to grasp cultural experiences in their linguistic manifestations. The individual entries in the handbook offer initial orientation and attempts at explanation in a clear, concise, and easily understandable form, without referring to specific doctrines, eras, or individuals. This creates a canon of commonalities on the basis of which different cultural areas can interact with respect and recognition.
ISBN 978-3-88309-988-0
519 pages, hardcover
100.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi / Matthias Langenbahn (eds.)
Communication in a changing world
Theories - Problems - Perspectives
What is communication and how is it possible in a changing world? How is it influenced and what conditions is it subject to? This volume explores these and other questions with six contributions from philosophy, politics, and cultural studies, presenting a wide variety of perspectives. These approaches address the question of how cultures can encounter one another in dialogue and how successful understanding can be achieved. Structures, interpersonal relationships, differing emotionalities, as well as tradition and media, to name just a few, all play a role in this. These and other influences make it clear that even and especially in the field of science, interdisciplinary work to develop a changed and expanded understanding of communication has become a necessary thought process.
ISBN 978-3-88309-967-5
123 pages, paperback
20.00 euros
An earth without heaven becomes hell
Between tradition and modernity
Selected essays by Peter Gerdsen
compiled, introduced and edited by Hamid Reza Yousefi
This book explores the question of whether and to what extent life without religion is possible, and what impact this has on human identity and self-determination. Humans require a spiritual dimension that provides confidence, hope, and certainty of existence. If this is lost, life takes on a material meaning in the form of a substitute for religion. Peter Gerdsen discusses this virulent question in three chapters: "Human Position and Self-Image," "Light and Shadow of the Enlightenment," and "The Interrelationship between Culture and Science," which comprise twelve selected texts. This work is suitable not only for theologians and philosophers, but also for interested laypeople who reflect on the meaning of life.
ISBN 978-3-88309-811-1
249 pages, paperback
30.00 euros
Many forms of thought – one reason?
On the diverse forms of thinking
edited and introduced by Hamid Reza Yousefi and Klaus Fischer
Anyone attempting to define what reason is or is not finds themselves on shaky ground. The authors of this volume have taken this topic as their subject. Among other things, the controversial contributions reveal that there is no universal answer to this question. Rather, they demonstrate that reason is an anthropological concern and manifests itself in diverse forms. This collection is not only a compendium for students of philosophy, but also for those of the social and cultural sciences.
ISBN 978-3-88309-567-7
252 pages, paperback
35.00 euros
Knowledge society in transition
Education, Bologna Process and Integration in the Discussion
edited and introduced by Hamid Reza Yousefi
The Bologna Process, education, and integration are among the most discussed topics in current sociopolitical discourse. Many students and university professors see the Bologna Process as leading to the schoolification of universities, the restriction of freedom in teaching and research, and the regulation of education. While the educational ideal of neo-humanism focuses on content-based education, universities today are being degraded to mere training centers, with the so-called liberalization of the system in reality simply meaning the appropriation of this supposed freedom by tangible economic interests. The discussion surrounding the integration of foreign citizens with a migration background is dominated by the ideology of a German Leitkultur (main culture), which counteracts true integration, leads to the formation of ghettos, and entails segregation. This book offers insight into the origins, objectives, and instruments of the Bologna Process, as well as into the problem areas of education and integration.
ISBN 978-3-88309-593-6
221 pages, paperback
30.00 euros
Interculturality
Areas of discussion of a comprehensive concept
edited and introduced by Hamid Reza Yousefi and Klaus Fischer
Interculturality is one of the most frequently discussed concepts of our time. There are numerous theories on this topic that complement, overlap, or conflict with each other. But what is interculturality, and why has it become indispensable? This anthology introduces the reader to the dimensions of interculturality and familiarizes them with its structures, tasks, and subjects from various perspectives. This anthology serves not only as a compendium for students of philosophy, but also of the social and cultural sciences.
ISBN 978-3-88309-577-6
326 pages, paperback
€30.00
From hermeneutics to intercultural philosophy
Festschrift for Heinz Kimmerle on his 80th birthday
by Hamid Reza Yousefi, Hermann-Josef Scheidgen and Henk Oosterling
The contributions presented here were written in honor and hopefully also for the joy of the philosopher Heinz Kimmerle, who celebrates his 80th birthday on December 16, 2010. This Festschrift is intended as a modest reward for his communicative commitment to research, teaching, and his unique interaction with people.
As is well known, Aristotle considered wonder to be the beginning of philosophy. Wonder led him to ask certain questions. Why are things in the world the way they are or what they are? Why do they exist at all? What is taken for granted becomes a problem as soon as one wants to know the reasons for them. For Aristotle, this is the question of the being of things in the world, of their being-so or what-being, and also of their that-being. And he assumes that universally valid answers can be given to these questions. In this sense, ontology, the theory of being, becomes the fundamental discipline of Greek and, in its wake, European-Western philosophy. Insofar as being is questioned at all, this philosophy also has a theological dimension; in Heidegger's term, it is onto-theo-logy.
With methodical doubt and the search for a fundamentum inconcussum for thought, Descartes marks a new beginning within European-Western philosophy. He introduces specific methodological conditions for answering the question "why." ...
ISBN 978-3-88309-569-1
523 pages, hardcover
95.00 euros
The risk of the new
Contexts and restrictions of science
Festschrift for Klaus Fischer on his 60th birthday
edited and introduced by Hamid Reza Yousefi and Christiane Dick
"Heresy in science means the ability to leave the beaten track—no matter how comfortable and successful it may seem—and venture 'where no man has gone before,' as a popular TV series puts it. Breaking new ground, cultivating wilderness in research, means attempting to perceive new patterns, structures, processes, and entities while others are still busy fencing in their intellectual allotment and defending it against intruders, weeding (sweeping unwanted evidence under the rug), and cultivating the most beautiful specimens or variants of the known varieties on even the last unused patch."
Klaus Fischer
ISBN 978-3-88309-507-3
662 pages, hardcover
90.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Applied tolerance
Gustav Mensching read interculturally
Intercultural Library, Volume 49
Tolerance is a child of intolerance. It is discussed in the fields of ethics, theology, political philosophy, social sciences, and history. As a cultural studies discipline, tolerance is also one of the central themes of intercultural religious studies.
This study introduces the life, work, and methods of the German religious scholar Gustav Mensching (1901-1978). His understanding of religion, his typology, and the hermeneutics of his concept of tolerance are addressed. Following this, an attempt is made to transform Mensching's idea of substantive tolerance into an intercultural theory and to further develop it as Applied Tolerance.
Intercultural Religious Studies sees itself as an academic discipline with social relevance. This includes the correlation between hermeneutic, phenomenological, and philological approaches. None of these three components is sufficient on its own. An intercultural methodological foundation, complemented by all three approaches, articulates a departure from any uniformity in Religious Studies.
ISBN 978-3-88309-447-2
140 pages, paperback
10.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Zarathustra rediscovered
This introduction presents the teachings of Zarathustra, which have not previously been addressed in this form. It analyzes not only the religious but especially the central philosophical dimensions of his teachings. This study is intended as an attempt not only to make the teachings of Zarathustra accessible to the interested reader, but also to bring about a nuanced shift in European-Western Zarathustra studies.
ISBN 978-3-643-10576-9
128 pages, paperback
19.90 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Lump in the breast
Sophie and Marie have been inseparable since childhood. Their friendship faces a special challenge when Sophie is diagnosed with breast cancer and Marie, as an oncologist, takes over her treatment. Using Sophie's story as an example, Hamid Yousefi tells the frightening story of being diagnosed with breast cancer, the exhausting nature of medical treatment and its side effects, but also how coming to terms with the disease helps to tackle the important issues in one's own life without compromise. Patients benefit from empathetic doctors, but also from psychologists who accompany the psychological experience of this serious illness. As a philosopher, clinical psychologist, and systemic psycho-oncologist, Yousefi offers concrete insights into supportive psychotherapy that can activate patients' healing powers. The author succeeds in sensitively putting taboo topics such as a cancer diagnosis and traumatic life experiences into words. An important book for those affected, their families, friends, supporters, and anyone interested in the topic.
ISBN 9783982405759
208 pages, paperback
15 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi/Sarah Ginsburg
Culture of War:
Americanism - Zionism - Islamism
This book describes the characteristics of Americanism, Zionism, and Islamism, all of which share a universal—disrespectful—claim toward humanity, as well as different and competing messages of salvation. All three pursue the goal of creating a world order according to their own ideas. The consequences of this unchecked and weaponized argumentation are a 'culture of war,' with each group claiming that only its own political opinions and values are true. Neither the discourse of Orientalism nor that of Occidentalism, which blame each other, will be addressed here. Instead, these -isms will be examined in relation to the political history of the past 60 years. The focus of this book is on describing and discussing these characteristic -isms, which pose a major challenge in the 21st century.
ISBN 978-3-88309-401-4
168 pages, paperback
15.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi; Ina Braun; Hermann-Josef Scheidgen
Place-based placelessness of philosophy
An intercultural orientation
Festschrift for Ram Adhar Mall on his 70th birthday
The articles presented here were written in honor, and hopefully also to the delight, of the philosopher Ram Adhar Mall, who celebrates his 70th birthday on January 1, 2007. Our commemorative gift is intended, on the one hand, as a modest reward for his tireless commitment to research and teaching: Some of his works have been translated into more than five languages, and all who know Professor Mall from the perspective of a student will gladly confirm that he is a wonderful teacher who knows how to combine Western and Asian philosophy in a methodically inimitable way. Secondly, and first and foremost, we would like to honor and celebrate him, in grateful amazement at the development of his groundbreaking and forward-looking concept of an intercultural philosophy.
Although this is already the second Festschrift for Ram Adhar Mall—the first was presented to him on the occasion of his 60th birthday 1—the response to our invitation to contribute to this book was overwhelming; we received over 120 contributions of diverse nature and origin. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that, for editorial, time, and financial reasons, it would be impossible to bring them all together in a single volume. Reluctantly, we therefore had to decide to proceed chronologically and publish only the first 43 submissions here. We will present the remaining articles and greetings dedicated to him to Ram Adhar Mall at an academic ceremony with a complete tabula gratulatoria before this Festschrift. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all authors equally for their contributions, their willingness to contribute, and their understanding.
ISBN 978-3-88309-379-6
670 pages, hardcover
95.00 euros
Heinrich P. Delfosse/Hamid Reza Yousefi
'Who is wise? He who accepts good teaching from everyone'
Festschrift for Michael Albrecht on his 65th birthday
The title of this volume, "Who is wise? He who accepts good teaching from everyone," comes from the Mishnah. It was Moses Mendelssohn who wrote these words in a family book on October 26, 1771 (Mendelssohn Anniversary Edition, Vol. 6/1, p. 191). Like the three other "Rabbi Sayings" that Mendelssohn noted, the line used for the title also connects seemingly contradictory ideas. Wisdom—one might think—consists in one's own, independent thinking, not in dependence on the teachings of others. Ben Soma's saying compels us to reconsider this widespread opinion. Harnessing the insights of others for one's own benefit and thereby becoming wiser may indeed be preferable to striving for mere originality. The words chosen by Mendelssohn, however time-honored, allude to the concept of self-thinking, a central concept of the German Enlightenment. 'Independent thinking' is by no means synonymous with originality. Anyone who can think through doctrines independently thinks for themselves, regardless of where the doctrines may originate. However, this raises the question of how one can maintain an overview in the face of the abundance of foreign doctrines, how one can recognize "good doctrines," and how one should select them.
ISBN 978-3-88309-296-6
394 pages, hardcover
80.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Fundamentals of intercultural religious studies
Intercultural Library, Volume 10
Even today, research in the study of religions is still burdened by a past characterized by a Eurocentric orientation and a lack of intercultural and interreligious order in the consideration of its subject matter. It is becoming increasingly obvious that this research method is in many cases unable to provide a clear answer to the existing problems.
This volume does not aim to present the world history of religious studies, but rather is an introduction to intercultural religious studies, bringing together different traditions in religious studies, each with its own questions and approaches, as equal contributions to the discourse. In this respect, an attempt is made to clarify conceptual systems that are closely linked to the structure, subject matter, and task of intercultural religious studies as an interdisciplinary approach. Three approaches are presented: Practical Religious Studies according to Udo Tworuschka, Engaged Religious Studies according to Wolfgang Gantke, and Applied Religious Studies according to Richard Friedli. The presentation shows that these approaches share many similarities.
ISBN 978-3-88309-165-5
136 pages, paperback
10.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi/Ram Adhar Mall
Basic positions of intercultural philosophy
Intercultural Library, Volume 1
The necessity of intercultural philosophy arises from the call for liberation from the current centrist approach to historiography and philosophy. An interculturally oriented understanding of history does not recognize imposed boundaries between people and leaves no doubt that a purely culture-based historiography stands in the way of intercultural understanding and serves as a catalyst for irreconcilable conflicts. History is not an a priori given entity. It is open, thought, conceived, and written by people; it reveals irrational projections.
A rethinking of self and other must be initiated in the human mind. This involves approaching a paradigm shift and broadening the individual's perspective on both an intra- and intercultural level. It follows naturally that historiography, not only of philosophy but of all cultural studies, even the natural sciences, must be critically revised from a new perspective that includes the recognition of the Other.
Recognizing the intellectual world of other cultures is constitutive for peace. This demand is common to all intercultural philosophical approaches, even if they differ in detail and in their research areas. Interculturality has both a theoretical and a practical orientation. It requires the clarification of concepts such as 'truth,' 'absoluteness,' 'recognition,' 'identity,' 'difference,' 'overlap,' 'tolerance dialogue,' 'hermeneutics,' and many other terms. Intercultural philosophy rejects the myth of uniformity and distances itself from any claim to absoluteness.
It is a main concern of the authors to present and explain the tasks, methods and intentions of intercultural philosophy in a historical context.
ISBN 978-3-88309-160-0
132 pages, paperback
10.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi and Klaus Fischer with an afterword by Udo Tworuschka
The error in religion
An introduction to the phenomenology of error by Gustav Mensching
"All genuine religious studies must be based on facts. Religious studies is not arbitrary speculation about otherworldly realities. The factual basis, which must be the basis of all religious studies, is provided by the historical religions of the world in their cult customs and concepts of God, their ethical views and beliefs. When we speak of facts here, the factual character does not lie in the fact that the ideas handed down in the various religious traditions, the mythical accounts, and the expectations linked to cult practices, concern facts, i.e., objective reality, and are thus, in this sense, 'historical,' but rather in the fact that all these manifestations of religious life are historical, that is, they are given on the level of actual history."
Gustav Mensching
ISBN 978-3-88309-119-8
234 pages, paperback
40.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi/Heinz Kimmerle
Philosophy and the historiography of philosophy
in a changed world
'Philosophy and the Writing of Philosophy in a Changing World' marks the end of an old era and simultaneously the beginning of a new one. It points to a fundamental global transformation rooted in political, economic, social, and scientific changes. One consequence of this development is a new perspective on things, a new experience of reality. It is about a break with tradition that forms the basis of a critical objective: to dialogically reappraise humanity's intellectual heritage and make it fruitful for contemporary questions and problems. In such a process, several discourse participants, despite irreducible differences, work together in an open-ended understanding. This collection of essays examines as many sides as possible and examines the consequences of such perspectives for the internal objective. It therefore means allowing different traditions, each with its own theories, problems, and perspectives, to be discussed from their different positions as equal contributions to the discourse. This volume is not only intended as an introductory compendium for students of philosophy and cultural studies, but also aims to facilitate access to philosophy and the historiography of philosophy for those interested in philosophy.
ISBN 978-3-88309-112-9
296 pages, hardcover
50.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi/Harald Seubert
Tolerance in the global context
Stories - Manifestations - New Developments
Perhaps never before has tolerance been as important as it is in today's world, where people from diverse cultural regions and religious communities come together. The concept of tolerance is still presented almost exclusively from the perspective of European-Western traditions. This volume represents the first attempt to provide a comprehensive introduction to the world history of tolerance. Over 30 authors from various disciplines and nations have compiled their research on methods and topics related to the question of tolerance. The result is both an introductory compendium that stimulates further research and a textbook for students of social and cultural sciences, philosophy, theology, law, and religious studies.
ISBN 978-3-658-00115-5
295 pages, hardcover
49.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
The tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussein
In this work, we read the traditional account of the historian Abu Michnaf about the tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussein, son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, the first of the Twelve Imams from a Shiite perspective and the fourth Caliph of Islam. This tradition has a unique origin, preserved in manuscripts from collections in Berlin, Leiden, Gotha, and St. Petersburg. These were compiled in 1882 by the German orientalist Heinrich F. Wüstenfeld and translated from Arabic into German. The available sources suggest that some essential content may have been lost in the process. This modernized and thoroughly corrected text brings to life the tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussein and demonstrates his greatness, which is manifested in his saying, "Freedom should be your maxim in life, even if you despise faith!" Imam Hussein's ethos of responsibility symbolizes the possibility of standing up for love, reason and justice in an age of cruelty and tyranny.
ISBN 978-3-82606-243-8
210 pages, paperback
29.80 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Madhouse of Freedom: My Path Between Cultures
In his stirring autobiography, Hamid Reza Yousefi examines Germany through the lens of a transculturally trained psychologist. He introduces us to his childhood and the stages of his dramatic development in Iran and Germany. Yousefi sketches a completely new picture of Iran, one where no mullahs rule with clubs in their hands. He dispels entrenched prejudices. According to Yousefi, our media machine is full of anti-Iranian images. Yousefi shows who we are. His diagnosis is harsh: We live in an agitated and belligerent society with self-righteous elites who believe they are the sole guardians of human rights and freedom. Provoked by economic seductions, they have robbed us of critical thinking. We live in a madhouse of freedom, where "wetlands" and "jungle camp" are cult. In our confused public, pathological narcissism and unbearable arrogance form a cruel unity. With black rhetoric and hypocritical freedom of speech, we manipulate the public's mind to subjugate the perceived enemy through structural violence. Controlled minds and cheap do-gooders feel perfectly at home in this madhouse of freedom. They chase away any sense of family, homeland, and identity. Anyone who doesn't glorify sexual deviance as freedom is ostracized. Anyone who doesn't join in the fight against our invented enemies as tyrants is excluded from social life. Once upon a time, Germany was the land of "poets and thinkers." This nostalgia is buried alive. Yousefi addresses German politicians and officials: Correct your own misguided education policies. Find a solution to the dramatic decline in the birth rate. Don't exhaust yourselves in destructive wars in which you trample on human dignity. What have you achieved with your war machine in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria other than the murder of humanity? The absurd campaign and the machine of lies against Iran also demonstrate self-absorbed economic interests that transform human rights and freedom into highly explosive battle clichés and use them against anyone who doesn't lie at our feet. Welcome to the madhouse of freedom! "With heart and soul, I have tried, both privately and academically, to build bridges between Germany and Iran, although I have repeatedly experienced how exhausting and sometimes futile such attempts are."
ISBN 978-3-95768-230-7
312 pages, paperback
18.00 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Thornfields
In this biographical sketch, philosopher Hamid Reza Yousefi traces his eventful and moving life. He recounts his first homeland, Iran, his childhood, the circumstances that led him to leave his country, and his migrant experience in Germany. He pays particular tribute to the fundamental theologian Adolf Kolping (1909-1997), who not only provided Yousefi with the foundational knowledge for his academic training, but also gave his life a new meaning. Yousefi, who describes himself as both an 'insider and outsider,' shares his intercultural experiences and insights from the refreshing perspective of someone who perceives the world not only in black and white, but in its many shades. He demonstrates the importance of an open dialogue about similarities and differences, 'a dialogic form of seeing the other and seeking understanding with it.' In doing so, he opens doors worth exploring: intellectually, emotionally, lovingly, and with infinite understanding. In this way, he created a new genre: bridging literature. Yousefi achieved what many people fail to achieve: he made Germany his second 'home': 'A country,' he writes, 'that has become my second homeland, a culture I value, and a language I enjoy speaking.' He says he has learned to 'use disadvantages as opportunities to further develop' his 'ideas. After all, no disadvantage is so great that it cannot also result in an advantage.' With these maxims, he opened up new horizons and expanded his identity. And more: In German culture, he rediscovered Iranian history – and vice versa. He ponders things that go far beyond the everyday: Can one truly find a place in another society? Or do one remain an insider and outsider at the same time, a border wanderer who, despite everything, remains alone in his world of thought? Is someone born elsewhere a 'foreigner' for life – even if they have long since become a citizen of a country? 'Anyone who has left their homeland, even for a short time,' writes Yousefi, 'knows in their own way that no cultural change leaves a mark on a person; every change is an expansion of horizons, a confession to the diversity of our world.'
ISBN 978-3-94140-037-5
232 pages, paperback
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Democracy in Islam: Analyses - Theories - Perspectives
What does democracy want and what does Islam want? What unites them and what divides them? These questions have been at the heart of almost all Western debates on Islam over the past 50 years. Authors from various countries offer a perspective with new dimensions. With a focus on Iran, they discuss the related fundamental elements of Islam and democracy. They present controversial theories, highlight different paradigms, and offer promising perspectives. The book is interdisciplinary, multifaceted, research-intensive, and practice-oriented. Anyone seeking a genuine dialogue between Islam and democracy will find it in these authentic contributions. With contributions by Katrin Masume Brezansky-Günes, Peter Gerdsen, Markus Mahdi Gerhold, Bernd Hamm, Mahdi Imanipour, Alireza Sheikh Attar, and Hamid Reza Yousefi.
136 pages, paperback
21.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Understanding and communication in a changing world:
Theory - Problems - Perspectives
At a time when the world is becoming increasingly interconnected and information from distant cultural regions can be accessed or forwarded at the click of a mouse in seconds, we need new skills. The contributions in this volume address this challenge and explore what has changed in the respective disciplines in the wake of globalization and why new paths and methods must be explored to adequately address existing challenges and shape dialogic international understanding in theory and practice.
ISBN 978-3-53119-721-0
196 pages, paperback
24.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Ethics in the global context: Histories - Manifestations - Newer concepts
We live in a world in which different cultures and religions must increasingly find a common answer to the ethical questions of our coexistence. This volume therefore accomplishes two things: On the one hand, it provides information about the overarching ethical traditions and paradigms in the cultural regions and in the larger and smaller religious communities of this world. On the other hand, it attempts to provide the foundations that can enable transnational understanding on fundamental questions of morality. Anyone who wants to look beyond the confines of a discourse developed exclusively in the West and engage in fruitful intercultural dialogue will find this volume an indispensable tool.
ISBN 978-3-65804-897-6
338 pages, paperback
69.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi
Human Rights in a Global Context: Stories - Manifestations -
Recent developments
The essays in this book present the concept of human rights in all its cultural and historical diversity. Just as tolerance cannot be granted universal validity, unaffected by cultural idiosyncrasies, the same cannot be said for human rights. Both are nevertheless the foundation for peaceful coexistence—provided one knows what we're talking about.
ISBN 978-3-65801-069-0
263 pages, hardcover
54.99 euros
Hamid Reza Yousefi / Ina Braun
Interkulturelles Denken oder Achse des Bösen
Das Islambild im christlichen Abendland
​
Die Arbeit hat zum Ziel, die Entstehung und Entwicklung des Islambildes im christlichen Abendland unter diskurshistorischen Aspekten zu betrachten. Es geht darum dieses Bild in seinem gegenwärtigen Zustand gemäß den Erkenntnissen und Methoden der interkulturellen Philosophie und der Angewandten Toleranz auf seine Stimmigkeit und seine Tauglichkeit für die Zukunft hin zu überprüfen.
Die Studie ist in fünf Kapitel aufgeteilt. Inhalt des ersten Kapitels ist, den Begriff "Islam" zu fassen, einen historischen Überblick über die Jahrhunderte zu geben, wobei die gegenwärtigen politischen und philosophischen Strömungen am Beispiel Iran genauer spezifiziert werden, und den Islam in einen Zusammenhang mit anderen Religionen, insbesondere den Schriftreligionen, zu stellen. Dabei soll der Islam so gezeigt werden, wie er sich selbst versteht. Die Sicht des Morgenlandes auf das Abendland rundet dieses Kapitel ab. Im zweiten Kapitel wird die Entstehung und Entwicklung des Orient- und Islambildes im westlichen Diskurs von Altertum über das Mittealter bis zur Neuzeit dargestellt. Es tritt deutlich zutage, daß sich zu verschiedenen Zeiten aufgrund bestimmter historischer, religiöser und politischer Gegebenheiten unterschiedliche Diskurse ausprägten, wobei der Orient selten neutral, sondern meist verzerrend und abwertend gesehen wurde.
Hauptgegenstand des dritten Kapitels ist, die verschärfte Auseinandersetzung des Westens mit dem Islam im gegenwärtigen Medienzeitalter detailliert darzustellen. Unter dem Begriff "Medien" werden hier Presse, Funk und Fernsehen, aber auch Literatur ethnologischen Inhalts, wissenschaftliche Literatur und Schulbücher verstanden. Die in diesen Medien gepflegte Sprache ist, mit einigen Modifizierungen, eine Fortsetzung der im zweiten Kapitel aufgezeigten antiislamischen Diskurse.
Die Methodologie von Imperialismus und Islamismus ist Gegenstand des vierten Kapitels. Beide ähneln sich in ihrer Struktur und stellen für die Weltgesellschaft eine Herausforderung hinsichtlich der Gestaltung eines friedlichen Miteinanders dar.
Das fünfte Kapitel stellt die Konzeptualisierung einer interkulturellen Philosophie der Toleranz vor, die von einer Verbindung zwischen "West", "Ost", "Ich", "Du", "Wir", "Ihr" ausgeht. Dem reduktiven Verstehen wird ein vierfaches Verstehen gegenübergestellt und es wird aufgezeigt, mit welchen Mitteln Macht Diskurse determiniert. Hinderungsgründe für einen umfassenden Dialog werden erläutert und Änderungsmöglichkeiten herausgearbeitet.
​
ISBN 978-3-88309-140-2
306 Seiten, broschiert
Euro 38,00
​
Jaspers, Karl: »Über Gefahren und Chancen der Freiheit« und
»Das Kollektiv und der Einzelne«. Zwei Essays
Nachw. von Hamid Reza Yousefi
​
Kann es in einer Massengesellschaft wie der unseren noch Freiheit und Individualität geben? Droht in Zeiten der Übertechnisierung der Verlust von Gemeinschaft und schlussendlich gar die Selbstvernichtung der Menschheit? Diesen auch heute relevanten Grundfragen menschlichen Seins widmet sich Karl Jaspers in den beiden hier vorliegenden Texten. Freiheit, so Jaspers, lässt sich nur im Miteinander verwirklichen, die Aufgabe der Philosophie ist es, die Freiheit zu denken. So ist es der Mensch mit seinem Selbst- und Weltverhältnis, der bei Jaspers im Mittelpunkt steht.
​
978-3-15-014031-4
71 Seiten, broschiert
Euro 6,00
​