Vanguard of Collective Virtue: Constitutional Illiberalism in the Muslim Brotherhood
Description
I argue that the most important value put in jeopardy by the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power in post-Mubarak Egypt is not democracy but liberalism. Further, I find that that the lens of religion is insufficient to explain and understand the Brotherhood's illiberal tendencies. A review of the group's rhetoric, along with an examination of the literature on collectivism and individualism, reveals that the Brotherhood's collectivist worldview is at the heart of its opposition to liberalism, an inherently individualistic value. I conclude that viewing the Brotherhood as a movement motivated by a collective sense of morality would provide policymakers and academics with greater insight into the group's behavior and policy positions, facilitating deeper comprehension and greater predictability.
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2013-05
Agent
- Author (aut): Colthart, David Anthony
- Thesis director: Gallab, Abdullahi
- Committee member: Halverson, Jeffry
- Committee member: Simhony, Avital
- Contributor (ctb): Barrett, The Honors College
- Contributor (ctb): School of International Letters and Cultures
- Contributor (ctb): School of Politics and Global Studies