A Survey on Triangular Dimensions of Dr. Ali Shariatie’s Thoughts

Shariati is one of the rare Iranian contemporary intellectuals that has been able to maintain its influence and presence in the field of thinking during the current century. With a glance, we can see that his mental structure was mainly triangular shape; a mentality was rooted in tradition and had grown in modern world, and lived in the Third World and the bipolar international system. Perhaps the "diversity", "dynamism" and "progress" were the main factors of the formation of his mentality structure. Thus, this article seeks to analyze the framework and structure of Shariati's thought by applying the theory of intellectual’s responsibility and using historical-analysis research method. Meanwhile, we try to answer to this question: What is the reason for the formation of such a structure in Shariati's thought, and whether the application of this structure can help us to coping with the historical underdevelopment dilemma in Iran? The main hypothesis of this study is that the Shariati's thought, under influence of Marx and Hegel's philosophy of history, has a triangular structure and in this context the important triangular was Islam, Iran and socialism. It seems that in the present circumstances of Iran, this logic can be useful to break the deadlock of development.