News from the Board of Trustees
Prof. Dr. Aliaa Reda Rafea, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Emeritus Professor in the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Women for Arts, Science, and Education – Ain Shams University, presented an article titled:
“Egypt’s Civilizational Identity and Its Humanitarian Mission in the 21st Century”
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7lt-Rl37P8
Article Summary:
This study integrates key methodological frameworks, including the Grand System Theory, which aims to unify natural and human sciences, originally developed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972). It also incorporates Complexity Theory, which evolved from computer science and has since influenced the humanities.
The study applies the Anthropology of Consciousness and its diverse approaches to explore identity. It highlights “consciousness” as a central concept in anthropological studies and connects it with analytical psychology—especially the notions of the collective unconscious and archetypes. This connection is examined through the concept of worldview, which transcends ideologies and bridges the unconscious and conscious in everyday and folkloric practices that reflect the authenticity of a nation’s character and intersect with awareness of identity.
The article clarifies the often-confused concepts of national identity versus civilizational identity, explaining why Egypt’s civilizational identity carries a unique and universal humanitarian value. It also addresses the serious risk posed when a society loses connection with its civilizational character, which threatens social cohesion. At the same time, the study emphasizes the role of the historical collective unconscious in restoring identity in a way that resonates with contemporary times—not through rigid repetition of the past, but through meaningful revival.
This article was published in Volume (2), Issue (4), December 2024.
Read the full article: https://smnar.journals.ekb.eg/article_416912
