The Triumph of Dogma and the Demise of Free Thinking In the Islamic Philosophy

Can we view philosophical movements as boom-and-bustDr Rahman KhatibiSwindon Philosophy11 November 2011

Raphael'sSchool of Athens

You all know something about philosophical doctrines: realism, existentialism, materialism, positivism etc. There are at least 100s of them. They are all in contention with one another but fortunately this is a civilised affair and philosophers are not normally at cutthroat relationships with one another. However, religions often do not differ from one another but they are normally at cutthroat relationships with one another. Science thrives by making sense of diversity and scientists are proud of finding shortfalls and amending them. So, we have three different mindsets. How did they come about? The focus of my talk is on philosophy but religion and science are also at the background, for comparison purposes.1

Setting the sceneHow it beganTimeline of Ideas and Intellectual MovementsOverview of Indian/Chinese/Greek philosophiesOverview of Islamic PhilosophyIntellectual Movements in the making of European PhilosophyEuropean PhilosophyFeatures of European PhilosophyConclusion

Summary

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Setting the scene: The Conduits of Ideas

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Theosophy: Greek, Christian and IslamicReason: Indian PhilosophyReason: Chinese PhilosophyReason: Greek PhilosophyRationalismReason: Sumerians and Babylonians Reason: Islamic PhilosophyEuropean PhilosophySetting the scene: Timeline of Ideas4ReligionsGovernanceShamanismMythMindTimeline years ago60004000260018001300300Now

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Philosophy5Setting the scene: science, philosophy, religion

Subatomic

Anthropology

psychology

SociologyGovernancePoliticsLaw and order

Science

Religion

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How it began: Migration 50,000 Years Ago

http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey/6

7How it began Migration 40,000 Years Ago

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How it began Migration 40,000-25,000 Years Ago

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How it began: Migration 12,400-10,000 Years Ago

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How it began: Migration 12,400-10,000 Years Ago

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How it began: Migration 10,000-8,000 Years Ago

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ScienceTimeline of Ideas12Theosophy: Greek, Christian and IslamicReason: Indian PhilosophyReason: Chinese PhilosophyReason: Greek PhilosophyRationalismReason: Sumerians and Babylonians ShamanismMythReligionsGovernanceMindReason: Islamic PhilosophyEuropean PhilosophyTimeline years ago60004000260018001300300Now

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European Philosophy

IslamicPhilosophyLandscapes of World Philosophies

Chinese Philosophy

IndianPhilosophy

GreekPhilosophy

Hindu Philosophies and Religion: Vedic intellectual traditions are the roots for all Hindu Philosophies, emerged before 2500 years ago and include:Nava, the school of logicVaisheshika: the atomist schoolSamkhya, the enumeration schoolYoga, the school of Patanjali (some sort of metaphysics)Purva Mimamsa: Vedic exegesis, with emphasis on Vedic ritualVedanta, with emphasis on Vedic philosophyShramanaphilosophical schools: ascetictraditions of wandering monkin ancientIndiaRepresented byBuddhism,JainismNot considered as part f the Vedic ReligionsAlso emerged before 2500 year agoOverview of Indian Philosophy

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Overview of Indian Philosophy

16Major philosophies of China emerged around 500 BCEThe classic period: 100 Years after the Confucius death (481bc): the period is known as:Hundred Schools of ThoughtThe four most influential ones were:Taoism: (Daoism) both philosophy and religion: a meta-physical approach describing a force encompassing the entire universe but cannot be described nor felt.Confucianism: developed from the teachings of the sage collected in the Analects of Confucius.: a system ofmoral,social,political, religious thoughts Practise Confucianism on the outside, Taoism on the inside."Mohism: founded byMozi, who promotesuniversal lovewith the aim of mutual benefit this philosophy parallelsutilitarianismLegalism: it upholds therule of lawand is thus a theory ofjurisprudence but encouraged creating atotalitariansocietyNaturalists: explain the universe in terms of basic forces in nature: yin (dark, cold, female, negative) and yang (light, hot, male, positive) and the Five Elements or Five Phases (water, fire, wood, metal, and earth)Overview of Chinese Philosophy

The main emphasis in the Analects is on humanism, not metaphysics. This is to say, Confucious was concerned primarily with basic human welfare and spoke little about the ultimate nature in which we live. When once asked about worship gods and spirits, Confucius replied: You are not able even to serve man. How can you serve the spirits? (XI.12)

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/tps/1000bce.htm

http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/G001SECT616

Timelines of Chinese Philosophy

http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/Timeline-of-Eastern-Philosophers17

18Greek Philosophy: How it beganAbsorbed Sumerian/ Mesopotamian, Egyptian & Hellenic rootsWas cemented by the Homeric poetryMany rival city states acted as conduits of ideasGenerated diverse schools of philosophyAcademia, peripatetic, Stoic, Neo-Platonism, sceptics And many doctrines of philosophy

Overview of Greek Philosophies

Overview of Greek Philosophies

Greek Philosophy had holes: Gorgias (485-380 BC): there is no truth, only argument; the art of rhetoric. B. Russell states that: Greek Sceptics argued that there could never be a rational ground for preferring one course of action over anotherGreek Philosophy injected an Aristotelian component to Christianity and collapsed!Collapse of Greek Philosophy21Christianity emerged by synthesising a new order:The Aristotelian component from Greek philosophyA Sacred component from the Jewish traditionThe Roman rule of law

The Model: Kalam + Shariat + PhilosophyA Model for Islamic PhilosophyBut Islamic philosophy embraced some freethinking to condition theology!Note the difference: Christianity turned away from freethinking right at the beginning!22

Philosophy was brought later to smoothen Governance and help theology

Islamic Philosophies23The emergence of sectsRationalism

Qadarites and JabaritesTimeline A.D.6226617506611200130014002000Muteziles and AsharisPeripatetic (Meshaiyyun)DehriyyunStoicismSufismAsceticismExistentialismAsharisTheosophyMind

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At the time of besieging Vienna in 1683 Europe was in par with Middle east but the underlying dynamics in the respective worlds were already divergingRationalism collapsed in the Middle East by 14th-15th centuryEurope was at the abyss of medieval dogma Italy was the theatre for interplay of dogma, power, hypocrisy and the people who were fed upItaly was also fragmented, wealthydue to commerce, like ancient GreeceSo, Italy gave rise to new movements24The Rise of European Philosophy

Raphael'sSchool of Athens

25Timeline of European Philosophies25ExistentialismRealismRomanticismHumanismClassicismScienceTimeline: century15th17th18th 19th 2000

Explosion of Movements

PostmodernismDogma

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Timeline of European Philosophers

27Cladistics of Philosophical Activities

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Timeline of Religions

Subatomic

Science

http://www.gardendigest.com/laws.htm29

So, science is helping us to rationalise our model of being human endeavourScience is not a mind gameReligion is a mind gameWhen philosophy acts like a religionIt becomes fixatedWhen philosophy aims to do problem-solving, either it collapses or goes through boom-and-bust cyclesThis is because philosophy is mistakenly in search of the universal truth but there is none30

Anthropology

psychology

SociologyGovernancePoliticsLaw and orderConclusion

Thank you

Appendices32

Revival of supposed values lost in medieval timesRediscovery of the unity of human beings and natureRenewal of pleasure of lifeEmphasised on human welfare and dignityEncouraged optimism on the power of individualsThe term humanity came into currency in 19th cen. As in the 15th cen humanity was the study of: grammar, rhetoric, history, literature and moral philosophyHumanities were then inspired by rediscovery of the ancient Greeks and just translated Plato

33Humanism

ItalySpainFranceEnglandGermany

Respect for the classics (Greek and Romans) grewAdmirations to aesthetics, harmony, balance, maturity, order AND Descartes philosophy of mind amplified all theseMore friendly to the authorities and ignorant humanistic mindsetThe ongoing corruption was ignored34Classicism

ItalyFranceGermanyFranceFranceFrance

A reaction to classicism and its extravagance and stiff rationalityPromoted: spontaneity, the unfettered, the subjective, the imaginative, emotional, the inspirational and heroicThe rise of nationalismAppealed to exaggeration, imagination, metaphorThey abandoned simplicity35Romanticism