Kant and the Islamic Revolution

This article brings to light a largely overlooked intellectual connection: the study of Kant by Iranian thinkers and its resonance in the constitutional architecture of the Islamic Republic. Focusing on the philosophical interests of figures such as Ali Larijani, it reveals how Kant’s critical project, the Enlightenment dispute over pantheism, and the search for a “third way” between pure rationalism and anti-modern obscurantism came to inform the post-revolutionary state’s unique structure. By tracing this intellectual lineage, the essay opens a new perspective on the metaphysical underpinnings of Iran’s political experiment, without reducing it to the familiar categories of Western political science.