Palestinian philosopher Ahmed Barqawi on thought, the ego, and Zionism

The reality is that many of us Arab philosophers have found ourselves, at times, ensnared in a haze between ideology and true philosophy.

This is the primary reason why numerous Arab intellectuals have remained at the periphery of philosophical inquiry.

Before your 2005 work, The Philosophy of the Ego, your focus seemed to be on philosophy at large and its interrelation with the Arab world. What prompted this pivot towards the ego?

The philosophical discourse on the ego profoundly acknowledges the human quandary within the Arab world.

Although it might be perceived as an abstract philosophical notion, its essence gravitates towards the individual's interaction with history and reality. History is crafted by egos cognisant of their significance in the cosmos.

The notion that the individual in the Arab world has not perished—for he has not truly lived to face death, nor concluded, for he has never commenced to meet an end, nor faded, for he was never present to then be absent—underscores a latent vitality awaiting activation.

Hence, championing the ego signifies a clarion call for humanity's awakening.

The triumph of the ego, recognising its singularity, transforms the diversity of egos into a catalyst for crafting their deliberate history.

This awakening to freedom, both in action and theory, posits that the ego cannot manifest outside the realm of freedom.

Nonetheless, the Arab world faces barriers to the emergence and realisation of the ego, predominantly through systems that overshadow the individual.

I perceive it as an oppressive construct, comprising a political regime rooted in martial despotism and compounded by religious authorities that scrutinise and confine the ego with their doctrinal naivety.

The amalgamation of religion with politics forges a potent force of suppression.

A decade following The Philosophy of the Ego, you revisited the concept in 2015 with The Ontology of the Self. Why did you return to this theme? What more did you need to express about the ego?

The self manifests as the ego when it ventures into the external realm of action and aligns with the modalities of tangible existence.

My return to the self represents a critical engagement with the technocratic-capitalist intellect and the global financial mentality that fails to recognise humanity as the offspring of Mother Nature.

This revisitation is not a whimsical retreat to nature but a deliberate approach to safeguarding it from the environmental ravages inflicted by capitalism and its proponents.

Thus, it is time to transition from the periphery of philosophical thought to its nucleus, grounded in a preliminary comprehension of philosophy's essence.

The purpose of philosophy transcends merely illuminating the confines of the cave to facilitate individuals' emergence into the realm of unbound existence.

In The Ontology of the Self, I endeavour to emancipate the self from the shackles of metaphysics.

Viewed through an essentialist lens, the self was subjected to severe scrutiny, akin to a Platonic ideal.

The self, re-envisioned from the gloomy recesses where a deterministic history of philosophy had relegated it or merely perceived through structuralist viewpoints, is the self whose voice echoes within me.

I aim to amplify this silenced voice, to reinstate its intellectual autonomy after being muted.

Rendered inert, I seek to rekindle the light in its upheld torch, discarded by others.

Your most recent work is Dark Being. Can you elaborate on this concept? What is the counterpart to this 'dark' being? Is it something radiant or luminous?

Human existence unfolds within three distinct realms of meaning: a diminished meaning, a transcendent meaning, and an absence of meaning, for even meaninglessness bears its own significance.

These meanings can manifest distinctly or intertwine within an individual's life, with the potential for transitioning from one state of meaning to another under certain circumstances.

When meagre aspirations and sheer egotism constrain your existence, your ego succumbs to the base aspects of life and its enticements.

Conversely, when your existence is propelled by grand aspirations that eclipse mundane realities, your being emerges as an enticing paradigm.

Yet, when your existence is devoid of characteristics and devoid of hope, it verges on solitude, in anticipation of oblivion.

In Dark Being, I navigate from the notion of abstract malevolence to evil as it pertains directly to the self.

Dark Being represents the manifestation of evil through the denial of the 'other' in all its forms of negation, specifically violent negation as opposed to mere divergence or deviation from conventional standards.

This contemplation begs the question: Can the antidote to dark being embody the same essence?

This inquiry prompts us to re-examine the discourse on values within a newly delineated reality.

The House of Philosophy project in Fujairah, UAE, is expansive and significant, with you as its dean. What truly defines this house, and metaphorically speaking, what are its walls?

Indeed, the concept of 'home' here signifies a profound connection that being forges with its most harmonious space, which is the House itself.

Discussing the House of Philosophy, we're introduced to an expansive domain for the intellect's flight, a realm where only the mind, capable of transcending the mundane, can dwell.

If Heidegger posited language as the abode of being, then it's apt to consider philosophy as the sanctuary of the mind.

For it is within philosophy that the mind realises its exalted existence, just as being finds its definition in language.

This house stands in stark contrast to those dwellings occupied by spectres, illusions, naïve fantasies, and prefabricated solutions.

Instead, it serves as the haven for ceaselessly burgeoning inquiries, the fertile ground where the seeds of concepts are sown.

And when a fully formed concept emerges from a philosophical deliberation, the mind, in its solitude, rejoices.

To reiterate: the House of Philosophy is unencumbered by walls; it is rather a boundless expanse for the intellect's expansion.

It encompasses the House of Philosophy journal, the Fujairah Philosophical Circle, compilations of philosophical inquiries, the Fujairah Philosophical Dictionary, the Fujairah International Conference on World Philosophy Day, philosophical workshops for the youth, philosophy for children programmes, and the Philosophy News publication.

You are born to Palestinian parents who, in 1948, left their hometown, Tulkarem, with hopes of returning there soon. How do you engage with the concept of Palestine, both humanly and philosophically?

For me, as a Palestinian, Palestine transcends the confines of a contentious issue: it's not merely a scenario of Zionist occupation versus Palestinian refugees and residents under occupation.

It's not a matter to be dissected and resolved by nations while disregarding the collective will of its people.

Palestine is the embodiment of my tangible identity, an identity forged from the indissoluble bond between land and people that shapes the Palestinian narrative.

This identity doesn't recognise a division from the land; it's a confluence of truth, rights, and self-identification.

The Palestinian identity isn't a concocted notion, nor was it scavenged from the annals of mythical texts, nor required external validation for its realisation.

It emerges from the realities of everyday life, an uninterrupted historical lineage, and a consciousness of existence inseparably tied to the homeland.

The profound, unwavering love a Palestinian feels for Palestine is grounded in this synthesis of truth and humanity.

Thus, the Palestinian does not plead for rights through resolutions or declarations; such gestures dim beside the evident truth previously articulated.

The predicament of Palestinians, stripped of their right to a homeland—denied their land, history, language, and natural surroundings—presents an aberration unmatched in the contemporary world.

And I, the Palestinian, stand as the authentic presence against the backdrop of the racist, Zionist ideology in Palestine—a presence that is illegitimate and transient.