Journal of Political Strategy

From the Return to the Self to a Critique of the International Order; Reconstructing an Idealist Model of Iran’s Foreign Policy from Ali Shariati’s Perspective

Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 37
Summer 2026
Pages 469-498
Journal of Political Strategy

Document Type : Original Article from Result of Thesis

Authors

Vahid Malekshahinezhad 1
Javad Giahshenas BonBazari 1
Abbas Salehi 2

1 Department of Political Science, Ha, C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran.

2 Department of Political Science, Ha, C., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran. A.salehi1357@iau.ac.ir 0009-0006-6324-6752

Abstract
This study aims to reconstruct an idealist model of Iran’s foreign policy based on an interpretation of Ali Shariati’s thought and to elucidate the relationship among the notion of the “return to the self,” the critique of domination, and a critical perspective on the international order. The central question is how Shariati’s thought can provide a basis for reconstructing an idealist model of Iran’s foreign policy grounded in a critique of domination and the international order. The study hypothesizes that idealism in Shariati’s thought is not confined to the revival of cultural identity or the preservation of political independence; rather, through a critique of relations of domination and dependency, it leads to a critical understanding of the international order and a conception of Iran’s role within it. Using a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on the approaches of Critical International Relations Theory and Critical Constructivism, the findings are formulated at four levels. First, the “return to the self” in Shariati’s thought is not merely a project of cultural identity revival; rather, it constitutes a point of departure for criticizing the historical conditions and power relations that have contributed to the formation of dependency and alienation among peripheral societies.

Keywords

Ali Shariati
Emancipatory Idealism
International Role
Iran’s Foreign Policy
Critique of Domination
Subjects

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