Self-Discovery Through the ‘Other’: Reshaping Consciousness Among Sufism, Literature and Philosophy in Rumi’s The Merchant and the Parrot and Montesquieu’s The Persian Letters

Abstract

This research paper explores how engaging with the 'other' can challenge and reshape one's preconceptions, focusing on Edmund Husserl's concept of intentional consciousness. It examines The Merchant and the Parrot by Jalal Al-Din Rumi (1207 –1273) and The Persian Letters by Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689 –1755), highlighting how encounters with non-Western characters lead to self-reflection. By drawing on Husserl's theory that consciousness is always directed towards an object, it argues that interactions with individuals from different backgrounds allow for a reconsideration of one's culturally conditioned perspectives. Through the lens of intentionality, the paper investigates how observations of French culture by the Persians and the parrot's words prompt a reassessment of ingrained beliefs by accessing deeper truths beyond superficial consciousness. By applying Husserl's framework that consciousness is influenced by but not limited to its cultural context, it explores how the 'other' characters in the analyzed works offer unfiltered insights due to their outsider perspective. The research paper suggests that respectful dialogue with diverse viewpoints, as depicted in literary works, can catalyze expanding awareness, challenging biases, and fostering new philosophical insights in alignment with Husserl's concept of intentional consciousness. This interdisciplinary analysis connects the literary texts with Husserl's ideas to illustrate how cultural exchanges and encounters with the 'other' can prompt self-reflection and philosophical growth.