Presenter: Neung-Woo Kim (Dept. of Asian Languages and Civilizations)

Is the life of Arabs entirely defined by living according to Islamic doctrines and religious laws, as the majority are Muslim? Around the turn of the 21st century, amid signs of growing conflict between civilizations, global interest in Islam increased, and discourse and research on the subject also expanded within Korea. However, much of this focused mainly on the real-world issues and economic value of the Islamic world, with little attention paid to the inner lives of Arabs through a humanities perspective. It is questionable whether we have truly sought to understand the Arab mindset, or the joys, sorrows, and complex emotions that shape their inner worlds. In this context, shedding light on their lives through literary works that reflect civilizational elements such as their views on religion, values, perceptions of life, and customs carries significant meaning. This seminar aims to explore humanities-related themes concerning Arab life, using selected Arabic literary texts spanning from the pre-Islamic era to the modern period.