Deconstructing Theological Authoritarianism in Classical Islam: Muhammad Arkoun’s Critique of Islamic Reason

Abstract

theological authoritarianism in the tradition of classical Islamic thought. Arkoun views 
Islamic orthodoxy as often trapped in dogmatic reasoning that closes the door to ijtihad 
and marginalizes critical thinking through the mechanism of the formation of a "single 
truth". Using descriptive-analytical methods and deconstruction approaches, as well as 
"Critique de la Raison Islamique", this study dissects how the structure of power and 
language in classical theology forms the "unthinkable" (l'impensable) and "unthinkable" 
(l'impensé) regions. The results of the analysis show that, according to Arkoun, 
theological authoritarianism is rooted in the sacralization of the product of human 
interpretation that is aligned with the word of God. Arkoun offers solutions through 
epistemological dismantling and the multidisciplinary application of the humanities and 
social sciences (such as linguistics, sociology, and anthropology) to free Islamic reason 
from scholastic rigidity. This study concludes that Arkoun's thinking makes a significant 
contribution to Islamic modernization efforts by reclaiming the spirit of plurality of 
interpretation that was lost due to the hegemony of religious authority in the past. This 
transformation is crucial to building a more democratic and open Muslim society in the 
face of the challenges of the times.