Prerequisites for entering the history of thought

Hamid Ghazvini
Translated by Mandana Karimi

2025-4-24

The history of thought and the transformations related to intellectual currents have always been fascinating to historians and enthusiasts of historical studies.

The history of thought seeks to understand how ideas form, spread and evolve. Along this path, the thinkers themselves or their supporters and critics who have closely witnessed the development, expansion and transformation of the said ideas, are a compelling subject for oral history researchers to answer key questions posed in this field.

Now the question is: What qualities should an oral history researcher (in Iran) have in order to study the history of thought and what factors should they pay attention to?

It seems that the first step is to have a general knowledge of the intellectual history of contemporary Iran and its neighboring countries because the said ideas have taken shape within this specific context and through interactions within this intellectual, political, and cultural geography. They must consider the geography of thought and how it evolves under environmental influences.

It should not be forgotten that intellectual movements reflect the thought and culture of their society, currents that are deeply connected to literature, art, society, and history.

Naturally, an oral history researcher must be familiar with related written works, publications, their authors, and even poets whose creations align with those intellectual currents.

In fact, the reason that many orientalists were familiar with Persian or Arabic literature was to enable them to engage directly with primary texts.

One of the pitfalls in this area is the overreliance of some researchers on media reports about certain ideas or thinkers without taking a look at the original texts. This leads to gaps in understanding and, at times, errors in the design of interview questions. Yet in the history of thought, one must first become familiar with the world and mindset of the thinker by studying the original sources before formulating any question.

Of course, the oral history researcher is not expected to have a philosophical analysis of the ideas, but they should have a relatively clear understanding of the ideas themselves, their proponents, and their evolution.

To clarify this point, let me give you an example:

In recent years, we have seen publications or interviews under the title of "oral history" that discuss figures such as Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari or Dr. Ali Shariati and their works and their relationships with various cultural and political circles. Interestingly, in many cases, the quality of the questions and how they are posed, reveal that the interviewer has not actually read the works of Motahhari or Shariati, nor do they even have a moderate understanding of their ideas. They rely solely on media reports or imprecise memoirs, and proceed their interviews based on those.

This is despite the fact that both individuals, through their writings and interactions, had a profound impact on the intellectual and cultural life of society. An influence that continues to this day and remains a topic of discussion and debate among many in the intellectual and cultural spheres.

Given all of the above, an oral history researcher can only approach these subjects if, first, they have a clear understanding of the thinker’s life and era, and second, if they possess a proper understanding of that thinker’s intellectual tradition and body of work.