Lahore University of Management Sciences

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1 Lahore University of Management Sciences ANTH 463 Mysticism, Reformism & Conspiracy Theories Fall Instructor: Dr. Lukas Werth Office: 221 New HSS Wing Office hours: **** or by appointment Course description Briefly: Starting from the Michel Foucault's notion of history of thought, this course identifies in anthropological and historical literature different discourses about power, self, and reason in different Islamic contexts, namely Sufism/mysticism, reformist/modernist movements, and patterns of explanation frequently referred to as conspiracy theories. That is, it basically asks in which ways mystical thinking and reformist approaches build up reality, allowing people make sense of the world in which they find themselves, and in which ways can so-called conspiracy theories provide a tool for this? More extensively: This course investigates personal identities relevant in contemporary Pakistan by comparing different religious contexts which can be seen at the same time political and social: Mysticism or Sufism, reformist or modernist and political approaches. It looks at a variety of contexts, taking up also literature not directly concerned with Pakistan, but with Western or other Middle Eastern settings, thereby taking account to global notions. In particular, the course tries to lift from the literature patterns of reasoning and explanations in order to trace how people make sense of the world in which they live. Don't be mistaken: even though a few articles try to investigate this question, there is no corpus of literature, no discussion which would systematically explore this topic in Muslim contexts if only because such efforts always run the danger of being labelled orientalist. We will, however, try to glean points from the existing literature which allow us to work in this direction. To this end, we will start with an evaluation of aspects of Michel Foucault's thoughts the same Foucault who inspired Edward Said to formulate his critique of orientalism - with hindsight of realms of meaning, history of thought, truth, and what else? - power. From there, we will look at patterns of authority in relation to concepts of person, and we will ask what makes someone to worship a saint and does such worship, or the recognition of the saint's power and authority by his follower, always amount to the same intellectual gesture? And, which are the categories on which such worship is built, what sort of discourse do they constitute - discourse is an important term in Foucault's philosophy. But if this question is to be asked, the opposite also has to be addressed: why do other people not worship saints? What keeps them from it? Don't think one or the other position is self-evident, but expect to look at both in detail. So we will ask how discourses in Muslim contexts change in different times and places. In which terms handle such Muslim contexts which are variously labelled reformist, modernist, and those many refer to as fundamentalist power and authority, personal identity, reason? In which ways do they relate themselves to the world? This is where patterns of explanation come in which are commonly referred to as conspiracy theories : they are

2 very common in Pakistan and other parts of the Muslim world, but by no means confined to these contexts. Quite to the contrary, they seem to depend on intellectual gestures in many contexts, and we will look at those in comparison. Can they be called reasonable? What could be their intellectual opposite? We will look at these questions. COURSE OBJECTIVES 1) To demonstrate to the students how to search for a particular theoretical perspective in literature written to other ends. 2) To locate different strands of Pakistan's cultural identity. 3) To compare traditional and modernist / reformist contexts of Islam. 4) To compare anthropological with historical and philosophical perspectives, thus demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach. THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES OF THE DISCIPLINE WILL BE MET: Goal # 1: Instill in the students an awareness of the overall unifying concerns of the disciplines of history, philosophy, and anthropology. Goal # 2: Show to the students how to scrutinize literature for particular ends. Goal # 3 Equip students with the ability to engage with and reflect on arguments in a critical manner, develop their own arguments systematically. Goal # 4: Gain a potentially critical perspective of the own identity. COURSE ORGANISATION: 1) Every student is expected to busy her-/himself with all the 17 readings. Presentations of about 30 minutes will have to be prepared, probably in groups the size which depends on the number of participants (ideally 3 students). The presentation should be discussed with me beforehand in the consultation hour. 2) There will be 6 small tests at the beginnings of sessions, giving the students time to answer one or three questions in 5-10 minutes, answering in words (to be specified). 3) Every student on her/his own will have to write an assignment on an essay treated in the class, consisting of words. 4) There will be a viva at the end. Points to be taken care of: 1) Attendance is obligatory. Absence up to three times is allowed, and any further absence will carry a reduction of the grade. 2) It is expected that you come into the class in time. There will be a reduction on entering

3 the class after the lecture has started, no matter whether a few seconds or a few minutes have passed. It is expected that if you come you will attend the whole session. Leaving the class earlier will also be marked with a reduction. 3) Please switch off your mobile-phones. Receiving any message will result in a reduction of your grades. 4) Students who fail to appear for the outline and for the consultation in the office hours, presentation, or for class-work, will be marked zero on those works. Only on a doctor's attestation, or because a participation in sports activities for LUMS missed work may be repeated. COURSE EVALUATION 1) Each of the small tests carries 5%, making a total of 30%. 2) The presentation carries 20%, and the questions in the consultation hour form part of the evaluation! IMPORTANT: Please take care that each group member writes her or his own share of the presentation within the outline which, however, has to be submitted as a group. It is expected that all members of the group are expected to read the whole work. 3) The assignment carries 30%. 4) The final viva carries 20 %. The followings points concerning the structure should be taken regard of when writing an outline for or when giving a presentation: a) introduction which includes the following headings: About the author: biography, work, etc. What is the author's intention? Against or in favor of which other authors does he or she argue? In which theoretical framework her or his arguments are embedded? b) Detailed outline but formulated in points (that is, between two and four pages) c) Significance of the work d) Significance in relation to the other presentations or upcoming presentations or lectures e) Some extra research f) Conclusion g) Your opinion, what you think about the work? (Please base your argument on an interpretation of the text rather than stating any personal opinion.) h) Critical questions i) Are there any contradictions in the work? j) Each participant should discuss a given author two times alternatively, and the presentation of your part should be in your own words and given orally, that is, direct formulations of the author should be avoided, otherwise you

4 will be downgraded. 5) The grades will be marked on an absolute basis. 100=A+, 90=A, 80=A-, 70=B+, 60=B, 50=B-, 45=C+, 40=C, 35=C, 30=C-, 25 or less is F IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE 1) You can discuss your exam-papers with me if you want to improve your results, or if you think I have miscalculated the numbers, but not just argue that you deserve more numbers than what I have already given to you. 2) Please do not bring mobile phones, or notebook or any other other electronic devices with you in the exams. COURSE ETHICS: 1) Please arrive on time in order not to disturb the concentration of the other students. 2) Please switch off your mobile phones before entering the class. 3) Please note that sometimes, due to the given amount of time for each session, I will have to cut short questions or to limit them to the topic under discussion. Such an act under no circumstances reflects on the discussant. 4) Please have respect for different opinions. Anthropology is a study of differences as well as of similarities between various people, and not an imposition of one's own world view on others. 5) Please respect your class fellows' opinions also when they differ from your own, even when they trigger strong feelings in you. This should not lead to the interruption of a student or the instructor, or to a dismissal of anyone's opinion out of hand. In brief, it is expected to deal with differences in a well-behaved manner worthy of your own self-respect. 6) Please keep silence during the class-work or exam. It is expected that students will neither talk, nor help, nor cheat. Transgressions will affect everybody involved irrespective of who did what. 7) In accord with institutional policy, there will be no discrimination in this course on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex/gender, ability/disability, religion/spiritual beliefs or class. Your political beliefs and moral values will not be considered relevant for your grading and evaluation. 8) Cheating and Plagiarism: If you take an idea from any text, book, newspaper, or any other source, you have to give the author credit. Furthermore, changing one or two words in a sentence is not acceptable as a substitution for quotation marks. All assignments must represent original work not previously or simultaneously handed in for credit in another course. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other violations of the honour code will be dealt with according to LUMS policy. 9) Other serious ethical violations include re-use of essays, improper use of the Internet and electronic services, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded essays, forgery, lying,

5 and unfair competition. For further instructions please check with the latest Student Handbook. Course Outline (The readings for the course are given in the sessions): 1) Add and Drop; general introduction; grading and such issues. The topic is introduced in general terms and with regard to the ethnographic contexts which will be treated in the course. Different approaches in the social sciences to questions of identity and reasoning are briefly elucidated. Topic 1: Michel Foucault, meaning, and discourse 2) The ground is cleared for an understanding of the philosophy of Michel Foucault, by introducing his biography, showing how Friedrich Nietzsche influenced his thinking, it is explained why he is frequently called postmodernist, and the first reading is inroduced: Michel Foucault. Prison Talk. In: Michel Foucault: Power/knowledge. Selected interviews and other writings The Harvester Press Limited, Brighton, Sussex: 1980, p (This is a recorded interview, therefore easy to access.) 3) The first reading is discussed, and the central thoughts of Foucault's early writings are introduced with regard to shifting notions of power and punishment. The second reading: Michel Foucault. About the Beginnings of the Hermeneutics of the Self: Two lectures at Dartmouth. Political Theory 1993: ) The first two readings form the base of what is to come. Foucault's notion of the hermeneutics of the self is discussed. 5) Theories of the self and the person in general are elucidated with respect t the thinking of Foucault: Marcel Mauss, Louis Dumont, (briefly) Max Weber's notion of the protestant Christian. Topic 2: the power of the Pir 6) spillover from the 3 rd lecture. The topic of Mysticism/Sufism is addressed, to which refers the third Reading, consisting of two essays: Siddiqui, Iqtidar Husain. The early Chishti Dargahs. In: Christian Troll (ed.) Muslim Shrines in India: their Character, History, and Significance. Delhi: Oxford UP Pp Moini, Syed Liyaqat Hussain. Rituals and Customary Practices at the Dargah of Ajmer. In: Christian Troll (ed.) Muslim Shrines in India: their Character, History, and Significance. Delhi: Oxford UP Pp ) The fourth reading continues the topic: Malamud, Margaret. Sufi organisations and structures of authority in medieval Nishapur. International Journal of Middle East Studies 26, 1994: ) The theme on Sufism is continued by a lecture on the development of Sufism in the Punjab

6 and in Sindh which makes use of the readings introduced so far. 9) The concept of the person which underlies the worship of saints is identified in the following fifth reading which exposes this understanding of a person in another context, making obvious parallels and basic lines of influence from the mystical tradition which have to be discussed: 10) Werbner, Pnina. Exemplary Personhood and the Political Mythology of Overseas Pakistanis. In: Pnina Werbner (ed.) Person, Myth and Society in South Asian Islam. Social Analysis, special issue, 1990: ) The recently published sixth reading juxtaposes dogma and creativity in Islamic history ( authoritarianism and rebellion in the author's words), discussing also Nietzsche's stand on free will and the power of man, providing us with a handle to discuss this issue in relation to Foucault's thoughts): Carney, Abd al-hakeem. Twilight of the idolds? Pluralism and mystical praxis in Islam. International Journal of the Philosophy of Religion 2008, 64: Topic 3: scripturalism and antagonism 12) The readings so far introduced are discussed with respect to the new empirical focus we will turn to from here onwards: the modernist/reformist strands in Islam. Muslim scholarship he role of reform movements, the age of Islamic reformism is discussed with respect to how they are thematized in the literature and in contemporary discourse: the Farangi Mahal, Deoband, Sayyed Ahmad Khan, Riza Khan Bareili, Muhammad Iliyas, the Ahmadis. 13) The seventh reading, a classical essay introduces the origins of the Deobandi movement: Metcalf, Barbara. The Madrasa at Deoband: A Model for Religious Education in Modern India. Modern Asian Studies 1978: ) How are preaching and proselytizing in Muslim contexts to be understood? This is the focus introduced by the eighth reading: 15) Troll, Christian. Two Conceptions of Da'wá in India: Jamā'at-i Islāmi and Tablīghī Jamā'at. Archives de sciences sociales des religions 1994: ) The following two, the nineth and tenth reading by Metcalf concentrate on the Jamaat Islami movent and the discourses which underpin it. Metcalf, Barbara. Living Hadith in the Tablighi Jama`at. The Journal of Asian Studies 1993: Metcalf, Barbara. Travelers' Tales in the Tablighi Jamaʿat. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 2003: ) The eleventh and twelfth reading are both concerned with militancy, discussing an problematizing with respect to this aspect the term fundamentalism. We will first look at militancy in Pakistan: Nasr, Seyyed Vali Reza. The Rise of Sunni Militancy in Pakistan: The Changing Role of Islamism and the Ulama in Society and Politics. Modern Asian Studies 2000: ) The following is a theoretical article about the implications of fundamentalist worldviews which involve demonizing the other: Nagata, Judith. Beyond Theology: Toward an Anthropology of "Fundamentalism". American Anthropologist 2001:

7 19) The thirteenth reading takes up notions of other- and this-worldliness, giving us the occasion to come back to the notion of concepts of the person in Mauss, Dumont, Weber:, and also the discursive notion of Foucault: 20) Robinson, Francis. Other-Worldly and This-Worldly Islam and the Islamic Revival. A Memorial Lecture for Wilfred Cantwell Smith. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 2004: ) In this session we compare the readings of the 3 nd topic and link them to the first one., discussing notions of power, authority, person, and reason. Topic 4: the logic of conspiracy thinking 22) The 4 th topic about reasoning and conspiracy thinking is introduced with reference to classical literature: Norman Cohn's warrant for genocide, Barkun's A culture of conspiracy, Mark Fenster, Ed White, and others. The aim here is to elucidate the possibilities that the so-called conspiracy-theories constitute one end of a spectre of reasoning which centres on personal capabilities. One question which suggests itself is: can they be seen as an attempt to break free from dogmatism? 23) We leave with the fourteenth reading the ethnographic area of South Asia and Pakistan. Zonis, Marvin and Craig M. Joseph. Conspiracy Thinking in the Middle East. Political Psychology 1994: ) The fifteenth reading concentrates on Algeria, but its topic lends itself to comparisons with the situation in Pakistan: Silverstein, Paul A. An Excess of Truth: Violence, Conspiracy Theorizing and the Algerian Civil War. Anthropological Quarterly 2002: ) The sixteenth reading is also about North Africa, but focusses centrally also on global perspectives: Keenan, Jeremy. Conspiracy theories and 'theorists': how the 'war on terror' is placing new responsibilities on Anthropology. Anthropology Today 2006: ) The last, seventeenth reading is no more about conspiracy strictly, but looks at international communication and prejudices with regard to Muslim art, allowing us to cast a view from another angle on pre-drawn conclusions about the other which is an important feature of conspiracy thinking: Winegar, Jessica. Art, Islam, and the war on terror. Anthropological Quarterly 2008: ) Final discussion, bringing together the strands taken up in the course, analysing them with respect to contemporary religious and intellectual discourses in Pakistan. 28) Final exam in form of a viva.