Reconceptualizing “Religious Revolutions”: An Introduction to Daryush Shayegan

ABSTRACT

Daryush Shayegan (1935–2018), a major yet underrecognized Iranian philosopher, offers a compelling framework for rethinking the Islamic revolution and broader religious‐political dynamics. This article introduces his thought to Anglophone audiences, challenging traditional interpretations of the 1979 revolution. Rather than a return to tradition, Shayegan views it as a modern event, in which religious symbols act as unconscious psychological defenses against change. Through a process he terms “ontological shift,” political and religious realms become intertwined, each repressing the other. These hybrid religious‐political symbols, detached from their original contexts, gain power through misrecognition. The study also extends Shayegan's insights beyond Iran, arguing that various fundamentalisms and populisms reflect similar reactions to existential disruption. It concludes by examining the notable academic oversight of his incisive analyses, highlighting the research trajectories that his rediscovery might generate.