This page explains a conceptual relationship between two terms within Shahrur’s thought, and how this relationship functions in the construction of meaning.
Meaning of the relationship
This relationship indicates that “what the right hand possesses” is not presented as a final condition, but as a temporary stage and a historical substitute on the path toward abolishing slavery, that is, as a transition toward freedom rather than a settled state of it.
The two sides of the relationship
- First side: what the right hand possesses
- Relation: transitional stage toward
- Second side: freedom
Evidence
- The State and Society through The Possession of the Right Hand as a Transitional Stage Toward Freedom
- Witness: slavery and “what the right hand possesses” as a temporary historical substitute on the path toward abolishing slavery
Its effect on the knowledge map
This relationship gains its importance because it links a historical social concept to its intended outcome within the broader conception, thereby making “freedom” the semantic endpoint of the path of “what the right hand possesses.” In this way, it helps organize the conceptual map on the basis of movements and transformations rather than stasis, and clarifies the position of this concept within the discussion of the state and society and the abolition of slavery.