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Ahmed Sarirete

Ahmed Sarirete (born 1962) is an Algerian researcher in cultural anthropology. He introduced the concept of "geocivilization", an interdisciplinary approach that analyzes civilizational dynamics based on the relationship between human societies and their geographical environment.

Sarirete studied at the Military Polytechnic School and the National School of Computer Science (Algiers). After a military career, he transitioned into the field of information technology, working as project manager and technical director at CFAO Technologies (a subsidiary of CFAO Group), and later as training director and CEO of companies specialized in open-source software.

Works and Theories

The Concept of Geocivilization

Sarirete develops his main theoretical approach in the following works:

  • Understanding the Geocivilizational Aspect of the West[4]
  • The Geocivilizational Phenomenon of Islam[5]
  • The Challenges of Civilizational Integration of Muslims[6]

Sarirete argues that natural environments have a structuring influence on the emergence and evolution of civilizations. This approach is part of a wider intellectual tradition exploring the relationship between geography and civilization. According to French geographer Paul Claval, civilization can be seen as “a long historical journey toward civilization,” marked by the progressive transformation of societies in relation to their environment. This civilizational process is intimately linked to “the difficult mastery of the environment,” an idea rooted in the 19th-century French geographical school led by Paul Vidal de la Blache.[7]

Claval further emphasizes that cultural geography helps us understand how societies shape their environments based on their symbolic systems, technical knowledge, and collective memory.[8]

Sarirete introduces the concept of **geocivilizational potential**, defined as a set of values, beliefs, and knowledge produced under the influence of the constraints and resources of a given geographic environment. This potential shapes the cultural, institutional, and technological models of a society.

He identifies two major civilizational orientations:

  • **The autonomist attitude**: Characterized by the development of rational and human-centered political and cognitive systems. It is prevalent in temperate environments where nature offers relative predictability.
  • **The assisted attitude**: Common in extreme environments such as deserts. It is based on strong spirituality and reliance on transcendence, where faith serves as the main mechanism of social cohesion and collective organization.


Theoretical Foundations and Comparative Framework

Sarirete’s approach builds on and dialogues with classical theories, including:

Publications

Works in French

Ahmed Sarirete (2020). Comprendre l'aspect géocivilisationnel de l'Occident: Un regard historique selon une nouvelle approche. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414475506.

Ahmed Sarirete (2020). Le phénomène géocivilisationnel de l'Islam. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414490813.

Ahmed Sarirete (2020). Les Défis de l'intégration civilisationnelle des musulmans. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414450978.

Translations and international editions

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). Understanding the geocivilizational aspect in the West: An historical look from a new approach. Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071574744.

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). The Challenges of the Civilizational Integration of Muslims: An historical look from a new approach. Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071581629.

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). Compreendendo o aspecto geocivilizacional do Ocidente (in Portuguese). Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071581568.

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). Le sfide dell'integrazione dei mussulmani nella civiltà contemporanea (in Italian). Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071569474.

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). Comprender la dimensión geocivilizacional en Occidente (in Spanish). Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071578049.

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). Los desafíos de la integración civilizacional de los musulmanes (in Spanish). Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1667427904.

Ahmed Sarirete (2022). The Dream of Emigrating at Twenty. Babelcube Inc. ISBN 979-8201795405.

Works in Arabic

See also

References

  1. ^ Ahmed Sarirete (2022). Understanding the geocivilizational aspect in the West: An historical look from a new approach. Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071574744.}}
  2. ^ Ahmed Sarirete (2020). Le phénomène géocivilisationnel de l'islam. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414490813.
  3. ^ Ahmed Sarirete (2022). The Challenges of the Civilizational Integration of Muslims: An historical look from a new approach. Babelcube Inc. ISBN 978-1071581629.
  4. ^ Sarirete, Ahmed (2020). Understanding the Geocivilizational Aspect of the West. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414475506.
  5. ^ Sarirete, Ahmed (2020). The Geocivilizational Phenomenon of Islam. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414490813.
  6. ^ Sarirete, Ahmed (2020). The Challenges of Civilizational Integration of Muslims. France: Edilivre-Aparis. ISBN 978-2414450978.
  7. ^ Claval, Paul (2012). "The Idea of Civilization in Contemporary Thought: The Contribution of French Geography". Anatoli (3): 57–76. doi:10.4000/anatoli.463.
  8. ^ Claval, Paul (2012). "The Idea of Civilization in Contemporary Thought: The Contribution of French Geography". Anatoli (3): 57–76. doi:10.4000/anatoli.463.
  9. ^ Wittfogel, Karl A. (1957). Oriental Despotism: A Comparative Study of Total Power. Yale University Press.
  10. ^ Diamond, Jared (1997). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. W.W. Norton & Company.
  11. ^ Latour, Bruno (2015). Facing Gaia: Eight Lectures on the New Climatic Regime. La Découverte.
  12. ^ Ostrom, Elinor (1990). Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press.