Few philosophers have exerted so great an influence on the humanities and social sciences as Michel Foucault—who was also one of the first Western enthusiasts for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Reza Parchizadeh writes:

Considering the current state of the region and the policy mistakes of the recent past, David Pollock and Robert Satloff outline a strategy that is “both virtuous and realistic” for defending human rights and encouraging democratization in a region plagued by autocracy, chaos, and brutality. They argue that “in the long run, more democratic, tolerant, and inclusive governments are likely to be better at defending themselves, and more reliable and effective security partners for the United States.”