امكان سخن از نسبت معماري و دين در عصر جهاني شدن

Global Thinking, Dialogues and Concepts: Islamic Architecture and Definitions of Architecture

جهاني انديشيدن، براي هر حوزۀ فكري، مستلزم تعامل ميان ساحت دروني انديشه و ديگر ساحت‌هاي بيروني است. اين تعامل، متكي بر بنيان‌هاي انديشۀ دروني است و در عين حال به تناسب مقياس تعامل بيروني، نيازمند نظرگاه و انديشۀ گسترده‌تري است. خروج از قلمرو دروني و ورود به محيط گستردۀ بيروني، نيازمند توانايي گفتگو و مفاهمه است. گفتگو شايد با زبان مشترك امكان‌پذير باشد، اما مفاهمه، بر پايۀ مفاهيم و پيشفرض‌هاي مشترك و بين‌الاذهاني امكان‌پذير است. سخن گفتن و انديشيدن دربارۀ معماري اسلامي، در مقياس جهاني، از اين قاعده مستثني نيست. تأمل بر مفهوم معماري و مفهوم اسلام، مي‌تواند زمينه‌ساز مفاهمۀ بهتري در جهان امروز شود. اين تأمل، از روش‌هاي مختلفي چون تصاوير ذهني، رسانه‌هاي جمعي، مصاديق آشنا، امكان‌پذير است. از جملۀ اين روش‌ها مراجعه به تعريف است كه در اين مجال، با مراجعه به تعريف لفظي معماري، در دو زبان فارسي و انگليسي، زمينه‌هاي ارتباط مفهومي آن با دينِ اسلام بررسي مي‌شود. نتيجۀ تحقيق حاكي از آن است كه اين تعاريف، معماري را فرايندي نظري- عملي در تعامل انسان و هستي مي‌دانند كه به دستاورد انساني سازوار و متناسب با زندگي انسان مي‌انجامد. از آنجا كه زندگيِ واقعيِ انسان بر مبناي نظام باور اوست، نوعِ زندگيِ انسان، دين‌دارانه است و ضرورتاً معماري و معمار، نه تنها مفاهيمي در نسبت با دين، بلكه ماهيتاً ديني‌اند.

Although globalization refers to the global scale, as in contrast to the local/cultural dimension, it is subject to cross-cultural interaction. Hence, globalization requires global thinking based on universal concepts which allow for cross-cultural dialogue and understanding. The interaction between regional thoughts is a sine qua non of global thinking and it requires the extension of thinking from the local to the global scale. At this larger scale, there is no way of avoiding encounters and dialogues with others. Although dialogue is made possible via language and translation, agreement would be impossible without shared concepts and mentalities. Thinking and speaking about Islamic architecture is not an exception either. Speaking of Islamic art and architecture at the global scale is associated with certain challenges. One important challenge is the misunderstandings surrounding the meanings of these terms. The greater portion of these misunderstandings is rooted in Oriental studies. On the one hand, the debates on such terms inside the Islamic world are subject to implied assumptions that may not be acceptable to the outsiders. On the other hand, both architecture and Islam are complex and controversial concepts, giving rise to disagreements among experts. In addition, the cultural aspects of these concepts, as rooted in their nature, pose the challenge of cultural relativity, which is an obstacle to mutual understanding at the global scale. It is no surprise, then, that the concept of Islamic architecture is misunderstood in global dialogues. Considering all this, if these terms are to be discussed and thought globally, such barriers must be overcome. To have a global dialogue about Islamic architecture, it is necessary to rethink its constituent elements, i.e., Islam and architecture, in a more profound and rational way. One way to rethink a concept is to consider its dictionary definition(s) so as to better understand the meanings that it conveys. On the one hand, language is a cultural phenomenon which serves as the main medium of intra- and inter-cultural communication; so, a comparative, cross-cultural, linguistic study can help us better understand a concept. On the other hand, definitions prepare the ground for collective agreement on a concept among the experts in a field of study and, thus, help us overcome the limits of cultural relativity. Therefore, exploring the definitions provided for religion and architecture would facilitate the feasibility of studying the relationship between these two concepts and, as a result, discussing Islamic architecture. Relaying on a rational definition of religion according to Islamic wisdom, the present study addresses the literal/lexical definitions of architecture. Religion is defined as a coherent system of beliefs, morals and practical principles that shape an individual’s lifestyle. Based on this definition, we explore and compare the literal definitions of “architect” and “architecture” in both English and Persian lexicons: An “architect” lives a life of serving other people’s lives and “architecture” is a theoretical- practical process whose product is livable structures for human beings. These two are not only connected to religion but they are also religious in nature.