Theoretical and Conceptual Bases of the Movement of Constitutionalism in Iran

Abstract

The destiny in which the movement of parliamentary system of Iran was entangled. Motivated most of intellectuals to think about reasons of the success of the movement of constitutionalism in Europe and reasons of its failure in Iran. The author of this article believes that changes in theoretical and epistemological bases, constructive and behavioral bases are preconditions of entering the domain of revolutionize and modernism. The west prepared the mentioned preconditions and in this way modernism and improvement were based on powerful bases of ontology and epistemology, but Iranian liberals had only superficial interpretation of modernism and it was out of deep scientific cognition. These people found the bases of constitutionalism not from its essence or the way of its evolutionary formation but in between European thinkers' books and by infatuation of the improvement of social life in Europe. Therefore, the movement of constitutionalism in Iran was not a movement which was induced by historical flaw and needs of Iran, and it was mostly the result of rational and emotional action against internal autocracy and external dominance. Nevertheless, we should consider constitutionalism as the starting point of the period of indication in eastern socio-political life. Success and failure of constitutionalism is not so important, but the beauty of constitutionalism was in this point that in made our society a neo-thinking and wanting one and lowered the king from his position of being God's shadow on earth and made him responsible to nation.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s6p178