Shariati's intellectual flow is accepted by various readings such as traditionalism, postmodern readings, modernism and radical approach because his thought has the capacity to accept all these readings. He was a critique of tradition and at the same time criticized modernity, and therefore he may have considered as a traditionalist or a supporter of modernity. But deeper study of Shariati's works leads us to the third stream, which is critical to traditionalism. Shariati's general approach to traditionalism is that the two fundamental principles of traditionalism, the attention to wisdom and critique of modernity, are the principles of his thinking. Shari'ati has an interest in both illuminated and Oriental wisdom and, along with many critics of modernity, addresses the crises of modernity and criticizes the principles of Western thought. But like other traditionalists, it does not stop in the Sunnah, but wants to make a bridge between tradition and Modernity by ideology. So it is better to call his intellectual thinking a critical traditionalism. Shariati's critical traditionalism means that, like other traditionalists, he take the crises of modernity very serious and sees its solution to pay attention to spirituality that is recommended by illuminated wisdom, not any spirituality, but the spirituality that serves Ideology and reform of society.
 

Keywords: traditionalism, modernism, intellectuals, shariati.

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