ALTERNATIVE MODERNITY AND THE RISE OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH

Abstract

This paper explores the emergence of alternative modernity in the Global South through the lens of Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdurrahman’s ethical and spiritual critique of Western modernity. Challenging the dominant narrative that equates modernity with secularization, material progress, and Western epistemology, Abdurrahman advocates a model of modernity grounded in ethical responsibility, spiritual renewal, and indigenous cultural values. The paper argues that many societies in the Global South are actively reimagining modernity not as a wholesale adoption of Western norms but as a plural, situated process shaped by historical memory, communal identity, and moral obligation. This paper suggests a translation of the Moroccan philosopher's book, which investigates the extent to which modernity offers an alternative perspective, as proposed by the Moroccan intellectual Taha Abdurrahman in his book The Spirit of Modernity: A Prolegomenon to Laying the Foundations of Islamic Modernity. The research employs a decolonial framework in translation and discourse analysis to investigate the critiques presented by Taha Abdurrahman in his book. The translation reveals the fundamental principles and ideals that the Moroccan philosopher used to establish an Islamic alternative modernity that challenges the Western perception of Muslim civilization.