Mirza Agha Khan Kermani and the Critique of Tradition

This article is an attempt to reread and interpret some of the works by Mirza Agha Khan Kermani، one of the prominent figures of the first generation of Iranian intellectuals. The main question is how he perceives Iranian tradition and what approach he takes to the pluralist and multidimensional tradition in Iran. In reply to this question، his way of dealing with tradition will be discussed and analyzed through his writings. With reference to some of his works، it will be shown that despite the common idea about him as an intellectual who rejects tradition، he is attached to some aspects of it. He takes a selective approach to tradition، and in the opposite direction to traditionalist intellectuals، intends to challenge and question some dimensions of Iranian tradition which is in contrast with modernization of Iran. However، in many cases، both his praise and criticism of tradition are rather superficial، rhetorical، and ideological، and his thought is unable to penetrate deep into Iranian tradition. The study of the strengths and weaknesses of his opinion in terms of tradition can be constructive، since Agha Khan Kermani is a modernist intellectual whose thought، whose life and even death reflect the crisis of encounter with the legacy of the past in Iran.