Lahouari Addi's assessment of the history and political legacy of radical Arab nationalism shows that it contained the seeds of its own destruction. While the revolutionary regimes promised economic and social development and sought the unity of Arab nations, they did not account for social transformations, such as freedom of speech, that would eventually lead to their decline. Radical Arab nationalism fell apart, but authoritarian populism did not disappear. Today it is expressed by political Islam, which aims to achieve the kind of social justice radical Arab nationalism once promised.

Addi creatively links the past and present while also raising questions about the future of Arab countries. Is political Islam the heir of radical Arab nationalism? If political Islam succeeds, will it face the same challenges, or will it implement modernity? The future of Arab countries, Addi writes, depends on these crucial issues.

Published in collaboration with Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University.