Elusive Horizons: The Limitations of Comparative Literature as an Autonomous Discipline in Iran

Abstract

This article examines the current state of comparative literature in Iran, a discipline introduced nearly a century ago but never granted an independent department at any university. It explores various factors contributing to this situation, including social and political issues, the dominance of national literature departments, curriculum development, and, most critically, extreme nationalistic tendencies embedded in all these aspects. The study also analyzes the condition of Iranian humanities before and after the 1979 revolution, considering historical and political contexts relevant to comparative literary studies. Despite the efforts of many scholars over the past decades, Iranian academia has yet to acknowledge the autonomy of comparative literature due to its interdisciplinary and transnational nature, which challenges national literary frameworks.