thesis

Taha Hussein, sa vie, sa pensée critique, et les influences occidentales

Defense date:

Jan. 1, 1987

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Institution:

Aix-Marseille 1

Disciplines:

Directors:

Abstract EN:

Taha hussein totally lost his sight by the age of four, and was sent to a koranic school by his father, where he was taught the art of reciting passages from the holy book. According to the wishes of his father, taha went to cairo to study at a religious university by the name of el azher. This was the beginning of a battle between two trains of thought ; one, conservative, represented by the teachings at el azher, and the other, reformist, illustrated by taha hussein. Disappointed by the archaic teaching methods of el azher, the student wodered if he should continue in this way : to start getting interested in the teaching of ancient arabic literature. In 1908, he registered in the new egyptian university that had just opened. There he met french and italian professors : orientalists with whom he could finally quench his thirst in the area of literary history. On may 15, 1914, he wrote his doctorat thesis at the egyptian university, the counsellor of the university decided to send him to france to study history. After staying 5 years in this country, he obtained his bachelor's of arts degree, and then made a doctorat thesis on "the social philosophy of ibn khaldoun". In 1919, he returned to egypt, where he was named professor of greek and roman history. Taha hussein came out as on of the pionners of the liberation of arabic literature. For his research, he used the scientific methods of french critics, and especially, the cartesian method that he studied at the sorbonne. These seemed appropriate to suit the study of the history of ancient arabic literature. Today, taha hussein is considered the dean of arabic literature in the orient and as the french cultural ambassador in the arabic countries.

Abstract FR:

Taha hussein atteint de cecite a l'age de quatre ans, est envoye a l'ecole coranique par son pere, ou l'enfant apprend l'art de reciter le livre sacre. Selon le souhait de son pere, taha se rend au caire pour suivre des etudes a l'universite religieuse d'el azher. C'est le debut d'une lutte entre deux courants de pensee, l'un conservateur represente par el azher, et l'autre reformiste illustre par taha hussein. Decu par les methodes d'enseignement archaique d'el azher, l'etudiant se demande s'il doit continuer a suivre cette voie, c'est alors qu'il commence a s'interesser a l'enseignement de la litterature arabe ancienne. En 1908, il s'inscrit a la nouvelle universite egyptienne qui vient de s'ouvrir. Il y rencontre des professeurs francais et italiens : orientaliste aupres desquels il peut enfin etancher sa soif en matiere d'histoire litteraire. Le 15 mai 1914, il soutient une these de doctorat a l'universite egyptienne, le conseil de l'universite decide de l'envoyer en france pour etudier l'histoire. Apres cinq ans de sejour dans ce pays, il obtient une licence es lettres et soutient une these de doctorat sur "la philosophie sociale d'ibn khaldoun". En 1919, il revient en egypte ou il est nomme professeur d'histoire grecque et romaine. Taha hussein se revele un des pionniers de la liberation de la litterature arabe. Pour ses recherches, il applique les methodes scientifiques des critiques francais et en particulier la methode cartesienne qu'il a etudiee a la sorbonne. Elle lui parait appropriee a l'etude de l'histoire litteraire arabe ancienne. Aujourd'hui, taha hussein est considere comme le doyen des lettres arabes en orient et comme l'amabassadeur de la culture francaise dans les pays arabes.