In this thought-provoking study, Ali Mirsepassi explores the concept of modernity, exposing the Eurocentric prejudices and hostility to non-Western culture that have characterized its development. Focusing on the Iranian experience of modernity, he charts its political and intellectual history and develops a new interpretation of Islamic Fundamentalism through the detailed analysis of the ideas of key Islamic intellectuals. The author argues that the Iranian Revolution was not a simple clash between modernity and tradition but an attempt to accommodate modernity within a sense of authentic Islamic identity, culture and historical experience. He concludes by assessing the future of secularism and democracy in the Middle East in general, and in Iran in particular. A significant contribution to the literature on modernity, social change and Islamic Studies, this book will be essential reading for scholars and students of social theory and change, Middle Eastern Studies, Cultural Studies and many related areas.
The water industry is facing increased pressure to produce higher quality treated water at a lower cost. The efficiency of a treatment process closely relates to the operation of the plant. To improve the operating performance, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) paradigm has been applied to a water treatment plant. An ANN which is able to learn the non-linear performance relationships of historical data of a plant, has been proved to be capable of providing operational guidance for plant operators. A back-propagation network is used to determine the alum and polymer dosages. The results show that the ANN model is most promising. The correlation coefficients (r) between the actual and predicted values for the alum and polymer dosages were both 0.97 and the average absolute percentage errors were 4.09% and 8.76% for the alum and polymer dosages respectively. The application of the ANN model is illustrated using data from Wyong Shire Council's Wyong Water Treatment Plant on the Central Coast of NSW.
During the Iranian Revolution of 1978/9, the influence of public intellectuals was widespread. Many espoused a vision of Iran freed from the influences of 'Westtoxification', inspired by Heideggerian concepts of anti-Western nativism. By following the intellectual journey of the Iranian philosopher Ahmad Fardid, Ali Mirsepassi offers in this book an account of the rise of political Islam in modern Iran. Through his controversial persona and numerous public and private appearances before, during and particularly after the Revolution, Fardid popularised an Islamist vision militantly hostile to the modern world that remains a fundamental part of the political philosophy of the Islamic Republic to this day. By also bringing elements of Fardid's post-revolutionary thought, as well as a critical analysis of Foucault's writings on 'the politics of spirituality', Mirsepassi offers an essential read for all those studying the evolution of political thought and philosophy in modern Iran and beyond.
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