Arabic and Islamic Philosophy

This paper employs Critical Discourse Analysis to examine resistance discourses as created by the Ahmadiyya followers – a self-defined sect of Islam – to argue against negative discourses undermining them in Indonesia. In some legal proclamations and statements delivered by state officials and the representatives of majority Muslims in the country, the followers of the sect, especially those affiliated to the JAI (Jemaat Ahmadiyya Indonesia) are excluded from Islamic community. By using Van Dijk’s ideological square, this study aims at identifying (...) resistance discourses created by the JAI followers as the defence strategies to oppose negative discourses presenting them as the non-believers of Islam. The resistance discourses are apparent in both written and spoken texts, such as books, articles, speeches, and public debates created by the sect. The finding reveals that the JAI followers create discourses of victim, defender of Islam, imperialism, illegitimacy, and discourse of public deception using various discourse strategies namely victimization, scare tactics, positive attribution, quotation, power delegitimising and negative portraits of misbehaving. (shrink)

Introduction -- 1. Mulla Sadra and his socio-political and cultural situation -- 2. The central importance of philosophical psychology in Sadra's politics -- 3. Transcendent politics -- 4. Justice -- 5. The ideal state -- 6. Political leadership -- Conclusion.

By expanding on Hans-George Gadamer’s critique of contemporary formalist approaches to art, wherein the artist pursues an artwork with a “disinterested” self, this paper endeavors to underline the transformative aspect of aesthetic experience. Even though it acknowledges the epistemological difference between Gadamer’s phenomenological approach and the Arab-Islamic one, particularly Ibn Sīnā’s treatment of arts and aesthetics, it nonetheless discovers some subtle similarities between the two. Consequently, it articulates artistic endeavor as an act of askesis (spiritual exercise) aimed at theosis (becoming (...) like God). (shrink)

The objective of this study is to present a new argument for understanding the philosophical roots of Abū al-Qāsim al-Junayd’s (d. 909/297) ambiguous definition of monotheism (tawḥīd). Al-Junayd defines tawḥīd in terms of separating the eternally existing (qadīm) from the temporally generated (muḥdath). This study argues that Plato’s distinction between “that which is and always is” and “that which comes to be and never is” in the Timaeus better clarifies neglected aspects of al-Junayds’s definition than the orthodox Neo-Platonic interpretation put (...) forward by Ali Hassen Abdel Kader. Given the lacuna of historically decisive textual evidence in support of either interpretation, this study will demonstrate how the Platonic distinction, which was widely circulating in the theological and philosophical circles of the ninth and early tenth century Baghdad, better furnishes a more coherent interpretation of al-Junayd’s positions. The first part of the study suggests that al-Junayd’s definition of tawḥīd could best be described as a creatively epistemic appropriation and development of the Platonic essentially metaphysical distinction. Through a careful examination of his theory of self-consciousness, the second part of the study explains how al-Junayd developed his epistemic definition of tawḥīd in response to the charges of pantheism addressed to Sufisms. This examination will further support my claim that a Platonic, rather than a Neo-Platonic, framework better explains the philosophical foundation of al-Junayd’s conception and definition of monotheism. I conclude by indicating how this study’s results contribute to the larger scholarship on philosophy and formation of early Sufism. (shrink)

The primary goal of this paper is to read al-Fārābī’s Kitāb al-shiʿr [Book of poetry] between the lines. Though it touches upon his other treatises on poetry and poetics, i.e., Risāla fī qawānīn ṣināʿat al-shuʿarāʾ [Essay on the rules of the art of the poets] and Qawl al-Fārābī fī al-tanāsub wa-l-taʾlīf [al-Fārābī’s saying on harmony and composition), it does so only in passing. Emphasizing the primacy of mimesis (muḥākat) in al-Fārābī’s discussion of poetics, this paper demonstrates how poeticity (shiʿriyya), according (...) to al-Fārābī, goes beyond being a mere “textual” or “oral” quality to even encompass various human actions and activities. In doing so, it also underscores how al-Fārābī’s definition(s) of mimesis is not reducible to comparison, simile, metaphoror even the extended metaphor. (shrink)

Widely regarded as the founder of the Islamic philosophical tradition, and as the single greatest philosophical authority after Aristotle by his successors in the medieval Islamic, Jewish, and Christian communities, Alfarabi was a leading figure in the fields of Aristotelian logic and Platonic political science. The first complete English translation of his commentary on Aristotle's Topics, Alfarabi's Book of Dialectic, or Kitāb al-Jadal, is presented here in a deeply researched edition based on the most complete Arabic manuscript sources. David M. (...) DiPasquale argues that Alfarabi's understanding of the Socratic art of dialectic is the key prism through which to grasp his recovery of an authentic tradition of Greek science on the verge of extinction. He also suggests that the Book of Dialectic is unique to the extent to which it unites Alfarabi's logical and political writings, opening up novel ways of interpreting Alfarabi's influence. (shrink)

Providing a comprehensive and widely accessible investigation into Mullā Ṣadrā's works, this book establishes his political philosophy and instigates a dialogue on the relevance of Ṣadrā's philosophy to present day challenges. Investigating Ṣadrā's primary sources, the book reveals that his discourse on politics cannot be interpreted as a discursive springboard for hierocracy and political authority of jurists, nor does the mystical attitude of his philosophy (with its emphasis on the inner aspects of religion) promote an idea of quietism or a (...) fundamental separation of religion and politics. Laying the groundwork for further translations and interpretation, this volume is not just concerned with 'political philosophy' as yet another particular and limited facet of Ṣadrā's overall system. Rather, through unifying mystical, intellectual and political aspects of this singular philosopher, the volume is concerned with properly contextualizing and understanding the guiding intentions and inspirations that unify and underlie all of his creative philosophical endeavour. This pioneering and provocative work of genuine reflection is a new contribution to the wider political philosophy. It will be of interest to researchers of political philosophy, Islamic philosophy, mysticism, theology, history and Iranian studies. (shrink)

Studies on Kitāb ārāʼ ahl al-madīnah al-fāḍilah by Fārābī, a Muslim philosopher, related to Pancasila as the state ideology of Indonesia.

This study investigates the intellectual legacy of Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali(1058-1111), an influential thinker of the classical Islamic period. Ali Mirsepassi and Tadd Graham Fernee study Ghazalis major Persian-language text Kīmiya-e sa adat (The Alchemy of Happiness) presenting a new understanding of Ghazali as a reformer of his own time.

This expanded and updated second edition, edited by Nazif Muhtaroglu, weaves together philosophical perspectives from both the Islamic and Western traditions, exploring the roots and contemporary expressions of occasionalism. From its origins in the works of Islamic scholars like the Ash'arites and Maturidites, to its evolution in the thought of European philosophers such as Malebranche and Berkeley, this book bridges historical insights with contemporary philosophical inquiry.

James articulates and defends a Spinozist view of the interplay between poetry and philosophy: philosophy has an ineliminably poetic content, and poetry is an aid and support to philosophy. In this piece, I juxtapose James’s Spinozist schema with another schema available within Spinoza’s historical milieu. In Ibn Tufayl’s view, rather than poetry being an aid to philosophy, poetry opens to a world of experience that even the best philosophy cannot grasp. For flat-footed philosophers who think that philosophy can in principle (...) have the last word on everything, poetics might give an approximate indication of a kind of experience that lies beyond it. (shrink)

Extraits de la Source de vie de Salomon ibn-Gebirol.--Ibn-Gebirol, ses écrits et sa philosophie.--Des principaux philosophes arabes et de leurs doctrines.--Esquisse historique de la philosophie chez les Juìfs.--Appendice.--Texte hébreu des extraits de la Source de vie (2 p.l., 36 numb. l. at end).

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly creeping into the work sphere, thereby gradually questioning and/or disturbing the long-established moral concepts and norms communities have been using to define what makes work good. Each community, and Muslims make no exception in this regard, has to revisit their moral world to provide well-thought frameworks that can engage with the challenging ethical questions raised by the new phenomenon of AI-mediated work. For a systematic analysis of the broad topic of AI-mediated work ethics from (...) an Islamic perspective, this article focuses on presenting an accessible overview of the “moral world” of work in the Islamic tradition. Three main components of this moral world were selected due to their relevance to the AI context, namely (1) Work is inherently good for humans, (2) Practising a religiously permitted profession and (c) Maintaining good relations with involved stakeholders. Each of these three components is addressed in a distinct section, followed by a sub-section highlighting the relevance of the respective component to the particular context of AI-mediated work. The article argues that there are no unsurmountable barriers in the Islamic tradition against the adoption of AI technologies in work sphere. However, important precautions should be considered to ensure that embracing AI will not be at the cost of work-related moral values. The article also highlights how important lessons can be learnt from the positive historical experience of automata that thrived in the Islamic civilization. (shrink)

RésuméCet article met en lumière un court traité inédit, le Masʾalatān (Deux questions), attribué à Avicenne (d. 1037). Alors que le premier témoin du texte, le manuscrit Ayasofya 4853, contient une part substantielle des textes laissés par Avicenne, euxmêmes partiellement intégrées aux Mubāḥaṯāt et aux Taʿlīqāt, le Masʾalatān est resté un ouvrage autonome à la circulation limitée. Il s'agit donc d'abord de vérifier son authenticité d'après les données disponibles. Cet article présente une édition critique du texte ainsi qu'une traduction parallèle, (...) mais il sert également d’étude de cas sur les possibilités de vérification de l'auteur. Il rassemble également des informations codicologiques, mais il propose surtout un commentaire, en analysant les arguments du texte et en les comparant à ce que l'on sait de manière incontestable des positions d'Avicenne. La première question porte sur le fait de savoir si tout existant est localisé dans l'espace, tandis que la seconde explore l'impossibilité d'un corps infini réel. Le commentaire interprète le texte en tenant compte du contexte culturel et théologique qui a pu inspirer de telles interrogations, et tente également d'aborder son influence ultérieure. Outre le fait qu'il dévoile un texte jusqu'alors inédit à la communauté scientifique pour des recherches plus approfondies, il met également en question l'attribution avicennienne du texte. (shrink)

RésuméCet article vise à présenter et à discuter le sophisme de transfert et de substitution d'al-Fārābī (d. 950-1 CE) dans son peu étudié « Sur les topoi trompeurs » (Kitāb al-amkina al-muġalliṭa), ainsi que la critique d'Averroès (d. 1198 CE), selon laquelle al-Fārābī aurait violé l'airmation d'Aristote sur l'exhaustivité de sa liste de sophismes. La première moitié de cet article présente le traité d'al-Fārābī et ses innovations par rapport aux Sophistici elenchi d'Aristote. La deuximème partie se concentre sur la critique (...) d'Averroès dans son soi-disant commentaire intermédiaire (talḫīṣ) sur les SE d'Aristote et discute la validité de ses arguments contre al-Fārābī. Comme notre analyse finale le montrera, la critique d'Averroès ne tient pas suffisamment compte de l'indépendance du traité d'al-Fārābī par rapport au SE d'Aristote, de sa négligence à l’égard de l’étude de la tromperie et de la contre tromperie dialectique, et de son accent particulier sur les sciences démonstratives. À la lumière de l'innovation d'al-Fārābī, son « Sur les topoi trompeurs»s'avère être un ouvrage d'une grande originalité qui s'appuie sur un large éventail de textes sources. (shrink)

RésuméIbn Sīnā ouvre La Métaphysique (Al-ilāhiyyāt) de La Guérison (Al-šifāʾ) par une discussion sur ce qui constitue le sujet de cette science. Plusieurs candidats sont présentés puis écartés, avant que « l'existant en tant qu'existant » ne soit identifié comme son sujet. Parmi les candidats écartés, il mentionne « les causes ultimes de tous les existants, les quatre » (qui sont pourtant des choses étudiées [maṭālib] dans cette science). Ibn Sīnā vient ici problématiser la notion même de causalité. Il insiste (...) sur le fait que « l'existence de causes pour des choses qui sont des effets » ne va pas de soi, mais doit être prouvée par le métaphysicien au moyen d'une « clarification démonstrative » (bayān burhānī). Il explique pourquoi la sensation (ḥiss) et l'expérience (taǧriba) ne peuvent prouver la causalité, avant de se tourner vers sa preuve métaphysique. Dans cet article, j’étudie ce qu'Ibn Sīnā pensait de cette « clarification démonstrative » de la causalité. Je présente une analyse de son cheminement de pensée et un commentaire sur les différents points qu'il avance, menant à sa preuve de la causalité. Ces points touchent à des problèmes de psychologie, de méthode scientifique et de preuve scientifique, et peuvent être analysés en tenant compte des explications qu'il propose ailleurs. (shrink)

Ever since its publication by Heiberg in the 19th century, we have known that the surviving Greek text of The Measurement of the Circle by Archimedes is faulty, altered by the intervention of a compiler. At least some parts of it are therefore of dubious authenticity. More recently, an examination of the ninth-century Latin translation of the Arabic translation of this text has led to the conclusion that the translated Greek manuscript belongs to a better and older textual tradition than (...) the text edited by Heiberg. This study contains the editio princeps of the Arabic translation of The Measurement of the Circle, its first translation and a historical and mathematical analysis. The many readings of this translation over the centuries have inspired several “redactions.” Three of these will be edited, translated and examined in a forthcoming study. (shrink)