Robert R. Reilly
Robert R. Reilly
A Philosopher, Author, and Expert on the Culture War
Full Name and Common Aliases
Robert R. Reilly is a renowned American author, philosopher, and expert on the culture war. He has written extensively on politics, philosophy, and culture, and his work has been widely read and respected.
Birth and Death Dates
Born in 1949, Robert Reilly's life has been marked by dedication to understanding and addressing the challenges of modern society.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Robert R. Reilly is an American citizen and a scholar who has worked as a military officer, government official, and writer throughout his career. He has served in various capacities, including as a U.S. Army officer and as an Assistant Director for Foreign Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in the United States during a time of significant social change, Reilly's early life was shaped by the tumultuous 1960s. His experiences during this period likely influenced his later work on the culture war and its impact on society.
Major Accomplishments
Reilly has made significant contributions to our understanding of the culture war through his writing and public engagement. Some of his notable accomplishments include:
He served as a consultant for the U.S. State Department, where he worked on projects related to global strategic communications.
As an expert on Middle Eastern affairs, Reilly has provided analysis and commentary on various conflicts and crises in the region.
Reilly has also written extensively on the intersection of politics and culture, including the impact of postmodernism on Western society.
Notable Works or Actions
Some of Robert R. Reilly's notable works include:
"Surprise Attack: The Development and Assessment of Non-Nuclear Munitions Since 1945" (1987)
"The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis" (2010)
* "The Fight for Happiness: A Memoir of a Life in the Culture War" (2022)
Impact and Legacy
Reilly's work has had a lasting impact on our understanding of the culture war and its effects on society. His writing has inspired new generations of thinkers and leaders to engage with these complex issues.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Robert R. Reilly is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful analysis of the culture war and its implications for modern society. His work continues to be relevant today, offering valuable perspectives on the ongoing struggles between different cultural and ideological forces.
As a scholar, author, and expert on the culture war, Robert R. Reilly's contributions have left an indelible mark on our understanding of this complex phenomenon. His writing has inspired countless readers and thinkers, cementing his place as one of the most important voices in contemporary debates about politics, philosophy, and culture.
Quotes by Robert R. Reilly
Robert R. Reilly's insights on:

Those eager to make a new beginning must accept beforehand that the traditional mind will lead them to nowhere.

Since then Sunni Islam has adopted the official position that no new interpretations of the law can be entertained, and that what seemed right in twelfth-century Cairo or Baghdad must seem right today.

There are two fundamental ways to close the mind. One is to deny reason’s capability of knowing anything. The other is to dismiss reality as unknowable.

Al-Ghazali immodestly claims that, to prepare for the enterprise, he mastered the sum total of relevant knowledge: “There is no philosopher whose system I have not fathomed, nor theologian the intricacies of whose doctrine I have not followed out. Sufism has no secrets into which I have not penetrated.” He is the master of all.

The past glories of Islamic civilization show that it was once ableto progress. That progress was based upon a different set of ideas,antithetical to those of the Islamists, who would have been consideredheretical then.

In a line worthy of Robespierre, Sayyid Qutb said that a “just dictatorship” would “grant political liberties to the virtuous alone.”26 Hassan al-Banna, whose bedside reading was al-Ghazali, also regarded the Soviet Union under Stalin as a model of a successful one party system.

It understood the crisis as a rebuke from Allahbecause Muslims had not followed His way. Just as success is a validation of faith, failure is a personal rebuke. Did not Allah promise, “You shall be uppermost if you are believers” (3:139)? The corollary to this must be that, if you are not uppermost, you must not be believers.

In Taliban-controlled portions of Pakistan, “Polio vaccinations have been declared haram by the ulema, and the government campaign has subsequently stalled.” Like car insurance, vaccinations are a form of presumption. Only with the expulsion of the Taliban from the Swat Valley in the late summer of 2009 was the Pakistani government able to resume vaccinations.

The entire edifice of individual rights derived from the natural state of the individual or through a secular ethical or political theory is alien to the structure of Islamic reasoning.
![With scathing sarcasm, Abdelwahab Meddeb, the Tunisian reformist, said of Islamist terrorists, “No criminal is more despicable than one who not only fails to feel any guilt after [committing] his crime, but also harbors the illusion that this [crime] will bring him . . . divine reward. This conversion of bad into good not only spares him guilt, but also turns an unhappy person into a happy soul.](/_vercel/image?url=https:%2F%2Flakl0ama8n6qbptj.public.blob.vercel-storage.com%2Fquotes%2Fquote-616475.png&w=1536&q=100)
With scathing sarcasm, Abdelwahab Meddeb, the Tunisian reformist, said of Islamist terrorists, “No criminal is more despicable than one who not only fails to feel any guilt after [committing] his crime, but also harbors the illusion that this [crime] will bring him . . . divine reward. This conversion of bad into good not only spares him guilt, but also turns an unhappy person into a happy soul.