Syed Hussein Alatas and Critical Social Theory

Known for his most famous works, such as The Myth of the Lazy Native (1977) and The Problem of Corruption (1986), as well as his concept of the “captive mind,” Syed Hussein Alatas (1928-2007) has made significant contributions to decolonization theory, social theory, and other forms of thought critical of the current neo-colonial and neoliberal world. Although Edward Said acknowledged his debt to Syed Hussein Alatas’ work, especially its influence on Edward W. Said’s most famous book, Orientalism, Syed Hussein Alatas’ work has long been overlooked by Western academia, trapped in its Eurocentric perspective. Spurred by the commitment to continue the development of Syed Hussein Alatas’ work, this edited volume attempts to demonstrate the relevance of Syed Hussein Alatas to numerous academic fields, and the potential for his thought to be transformative in the international socio-political realm. Twenty authors from various disciplines and countries have contributed to Syed Hussein Alatas and Critical Social Theory: Decolonizing the Captive Mind, in the hopes of bringing his work to the forefront of social and political theory.

Contributors are: Mona Abaza, Joseph Alagha, Masturah Alatas, Sharifah Munirah Alatas, Syed Farid Alatas, Syed Imad Alatas, Hira Amin, Dustin J. Byrd, Zawawi Ibrahim, N. Jayaram, Teo Lee Ken, Habibul Haque Khondker, Victor T. King, João Marcelo E. Maia, Seyed Javad Miri, Carimo Mohomed, Chandra Muzaffar, Norshahril Saat, Mostafa Soueid, and Esmaeil Zeiny.

Dustin J. Byrd, Ph.D. (2017), Michigan State University, is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Olivet College. He is the Founder and Co-Director of the Institute for Critical Social Theory, and the Editor-in-Chief of Ekpyrosis Press. He has published numerous monographs, edited volumes, and articles on Islam, Critical Theory, and Political Philosophy. His latest books include: The Frankfurt School and the Dialectics of Religion: Translating Critical Faith into Critical Theory (Ekpyrosis Press, 2020), The Critique of Religion and Religion’s Critique: On Dialectical Religiology (Brill, 2020), and Frantz Fanon and Emancipatory Social Theory: A View from the Wretched (Brill, 2020).

Seyed Javad Miri, Ph.D. (2002), Bristol University, is Professor of Sociology and History of Religions at that Institute. He has published more than 61 books and 100+ articles on various issues related to Philosophy, Religion, and Sociology. He is a specialist in Islamic Social Theory, Inter-civilizational Discourse, and Contemporary Islamic Thought. He is also the founder of the journal Islamic Perspective, and serves as the co-director of the Institute for Critical Social Theory.