Rifâ’a at-Tahtaoui et les Lumières françaises À la recherche de l’universalisme ?

In a context characterised by friction between West ans East, Tahtaoui’s L’Or de Paris has a delicate mission: find out he reasons which led to the progress of the French nation in the hope that his own country (Egypt) benefits from this progress while preserving the Arab-Islamic identity. While the author was careful not to call for a revolution against the existing political structure, he called for a cultural revolution which might lead to the spread of “profane sciences” in Egypt.