Pushing against the association of Islamic philosophy with a temporal and geographical ''elsewhere'', this work makes the case for a Ricoeurian hermeneutics of appropriation that revitalises Avicenna''s thinking for the philosophy of today. Selami Varlik develops a precise approach to the appropriation of Avicenna, exploring the tension between being and non-being inherent in the notion of creation as crucial both to Ricoeur''s hermeneutics and to the duality between essence and existence in Avicenna. Although he pays careful attention to their theological differences, Varlik identifies paths of convergence between Avicenna and Ricoeur on the levels of both form and content. In relation to form, he identifies a common language based on a shared concern with putting belief in tension with rational discourse. With regard to content, he explores similarities and divergences between the two philosophers'' approaches to the concept of creation. An aspect of this is the pivotal role played by Avicenna''s conception of ex nihilo creation in medieval philosophy, which Varlik interprets as indirectly influencing the distinction between origin and temporal beginning in Ricoeur. This is a vital contribution to the development of a living Islamic philosophy that skilfully navigates the tensions between the experience of the text and its conceptual dimension on the one hand and between fidelity to a philosophical tradition and semantic innovation on the other.

Autorentext

Selami Varlik

Klappentext

Phenomenology and philosophical hermeneutics are deepening their dialogue with ancient and medieval metaphysics. Yet Islamic philosophy - typically relegated to a distant past - remains strikingly absent despite its recognized impact on European thought.

To counter this absence, The Appropriation of Islamic Philosophy revitalizes the work of Avicenna - the seminal Islamic thinker - for contemporary philosophy, making a case for a Ricoeurian hermeneutics of appropriation.

Selami Varlik brings Avicenna into dialogue with Ricoeur through their shared concern with putting belief in tension with rational discourse. The notion of creation, common to both Islam and Christianity, plays a pivotal role in this convergence - particularly through Avicenna's distinction between ontological creation and temporal creation.

By establishing a shared conceptual language between both traditions, this work makes a vital contribution to the development of a living Islamic philosophy, transcending the scope of the two thinkers examined here.

Inhalt

Introduction

Part I: Necessity and Difficulties of Appropriation
A. Need for a Hermeneutical Approach

1. The Problem of Appropriation of Islamic Philosophy

2. Need for a Hermeneutics of Appropriation

   B. Difficulties in the Appropriation Process

3. The Appropriation Process in Ricoeur

4. The Religious Obstacles

   Part II: A Double Solution in Form and Content
   A. Possibility of a Common Language

5. Proximity in Religious Belonging

   2. Conceptual Distanciation in Common

   B. Creation Ex Nihilo as a Shared Notion

6. Creation in Ricoeur

7. Creation in Avicenna

   Part III: Appropriation as Innovation and Transformation
   A. Creation and Semantic Innovation

8. Creation and Innovation in Avicenna

9. Innovation and Appropriation of Avicenna

   B. Creation and Transformation of the Subject

10. Concomitance of the Cause and Ontological Indigence

11. Causality Against the Domination of the Subject

    Conclusion
    Bibliography
    Index