ABSTRACT
The writings and oratory of 'Ali Shari'ati helped generate a revolutionary atmosphere in the final decade of the late shah's reign in Iran. About Shari'ati's influence there appears to be little dispute. The problem in assessing Shari'ati lies in deciding upon which standards to apply. Shari'ati might better be evaluated for his contributions to an analysis of authenticity. Shari'ati's radicalism leads him to reject tradition and modernity, both hostile to the authentic understanding of self. Shari'ati proposes a universal definition of "enlightenment" and argues that there is no universal prototype for being "enlightened". Shari'ati's treatment of the pilgrimage to Mecca, in an essay called Hajj, illustrates the links between particularity, mysticism, and universalism. For Shari'ati, the unicity of the universe is a matter of instinct and faith. Shari'ati describes history as combat between monotheism and polytheism, with monotheism both the starting point and the ultimate objective.
