The study attempts to determine the extent to which Arab nationalism, as expressed in the writings of Michel Aflaq, may be considered truly secular. The analysis of Aflaq's published essays and speeches focuses upon his treatment of religion in general and of Islam in particular. In order to present a valid analysis of his writlngs, the origins of Aflaq's thinking are traced to the experiences and influences he underwent. It is shown that, although Aflaq uses religious terms and concepts, he deprives them of all supra-human implications. Thus, the particularism engendered by different religious modes of worshlp loses much of its significance. Since Islam is, for Aflaq, the greatest expression of Arabism at its partlcular time, therefore, all Arabs, including Christians, can find themselves only through Islam. Arab nationalism, as expressed by Michel Aflaq, is secular only to the extent of subsuming Islam wlthin Arabism while resurrecting the philosophical and ethical principles of Islam suitable to the present time. For Aflaq, the principles suitable to the present lie in freedom, unity, and socialism.

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This thesis is a small contribution to the growing amount of information that has been gathered about Arab nationalism. Its purpose is more specific than most studies of Arab nationalism have been in that it seeks to deal only with four figures who were Christian rather than Muslim and who happened to be Arabs of the fertile Crescent. Apart from placing these writers in a new perspective, this thesis has little that is very original to offer. But, it is hoped that the fairly careful and detailed analysis of some of the writings, offered in English for the first time, will be of some future use to others. [...]

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