Classic Issues in Islamic Philosophy and Theology Today

This collection of studies in classic issues of Islamic theology and philosophy, authored primarily by young Islamic scholars, is directed to Islamic and Occidental readers alike. While the questions here explored are classic, these studies are definitely not narrowly focused on historical matters or the delineation of the filiation of ideas. Rather they proceed from the personal quest of each of the authors, who are prompted by contemporary concerns as they seek to understand the old themes afresh. While appreciating the benefits of humanity's modern technological progress, they keenly discern the relevance of inherited Islamic wisdom in addressing the problems that accompany that progress. Two striking conclusions emerge as one absorbs these studies. Firstly, the deplored technological-pragmatic turn of present day civilization, which threatens to deconstruct the metaphysical core of Islamic as well as Christian thought and to silence the quest for Truth, is loosening its grip. The universal concerns of humanity call for a revivified authentic understanding of metaphysics, one to be enriched through the evolution of humankind. Into this New Enlightenment, which shimmers and beckons, Islamic wisdom is now entering and contributing.

Secondly, the search for renewed Islamic illumination of the perennial concerns of human souls is manifested in our authors' sharing their philosophical insights and points of view across cultural borders in encounters with past and present Occidental thinkers. This work renews the precious ties between Islamic and Western thinkers that were formed in the Middle Ages and then disrupted.

Zusammenfassung
With some exceptions, there is not a real interest in Islamic philosophy and t- ology in Western institutions today. This largely ignored area has the potential to present enlightening insights into the development of the Western thought and to contribute to contemporary discussions in philosophy and theology in general. Scholars working in Islamic thought usually focus on its medieval background and consider it to be mainly of a historical interest and far away from the intellectual world of today. Showing its contemporary relevance is an important task by which the status of Islamic philosophy can be elevated to its proper station. By considering these points in mind, the University of Kentucky organized an international graduate student conference on Islamic philosophy and the- ogy with an emphasis on its contemporary relevance which was held between the 28th and 30th September 2007. This book emerged out of the conf- ence by adding more chapters relevant to the main theme of the book. This book presents analyses and discussions of different topics in Islamic philo- phy and theology by relating them to contemporary debates and ideas in four main areas: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion and value t- ory. There are ten chapters in sum. Some of the chapters are written by graduate students and some of them by experienced scholars. Each chapter presents c- siderable insight into its relevant topic but does not represent the opinion of anybody except the author.

Inhalt

Section I.- An Internalist Model of Immediate Awareness of God From an Islamic Philosophy Perspective.- On the Prospects of an Islamic Externalist Account of Warrant.- Section II.- An Occasionalist Defence of Free Will.- Revelation and Reason: Ibn 'Arabi's Sufism and G.W. Leibniz's Idealism.- Iqbal on Self and Privacy: A Critical Analysis in the Light of Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations.- Section III.- Who is the God of the Qur'an? A Medieval Islamic Debate and Contemporary Philosophy of Religion.- Nursi on Theodicy: A New Theological Perspective.- Section IV.- Poetry and the Emotions in Islamic Philosophy.- A Discussion of the Aesthetic Views of Ibn Sina and Aristotle on the Basis of Aesthetic Value.- Translating Male-Oriented Philosophical Works for a Multi-Gender Society.