scholarly journals Philosophy in the Narrative Mode

2022 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Anna Ayse Akasoy
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Islamic Philosophy ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
Moral Philosopher ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Islamic Tradition ◽  
Classical World ◽  
Narrative Mode ◽  
Alexander Romance

Histories of Arabic and Islamic philosophy tend to focus on texts which are systematic in nature and conventionally classified as philosophy or related scholarly disciplines. Philosophical principles, however, are also defining features of texts associated with other genres. Within the larger field of philosophy, this might be especially true of ethics and within the larger body of literature this might be especially the case for stories. Indeed, it is sometimes argued that the very purpose of storytelling is to reinforce and disseminate moral conventions. Likewise, the moral philosopher can be conceptualized as a homo narrans.The aim of this contribution is to apply the approach to narratives as a mode of debating ethical or moral principles to biographies of Alexander the Great. More than any other figure of the classical world, Alexander was religiously validated in the Islamic tradition due to his quasi-prophetic status as the ‘man with the two horns’ in the Qur’an. He appears prominently in the larger orbit of Arabic and Islamic philosophy as interlocutor and disciple of Aristotle and is adduced anecdotally in philosophical literature as an example to teach larger lessons of life. As a world conqueror, he provided an attractive model for those who sought to reconcile philosophical insight with worldly ambition.Focusing on biographies of Alexander, this article explores ethical principles which are inscribed in this body of literature and thus reads the texts as a narrativized form of philosophy. The analysis is comparative in two ways. Biographies of different periods and regions of the Islamicate world will be discussed, but comparisons with pre-Islamic biographies of Alexander (notably Roman biographies and the Alexander Romance) are included as well.

scholarly journals New Perspectives on Ethics in Islam [whole issue]

2022 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 1-364
Author(s):  
Feriel Bouhafa (ed.)
Keyword(s):  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Legal Theory ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Islamic Philosophy ◽  
Moral Value ◽  
Ethical Realism ◽  
Islamic Jurisprudence ◽  
Narrative Mode ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moral Ontology

Complete volume, containing all articles CONTENTS Introduction: Feriel Bouhafa, Towards New Perspectives on Ethics in Islam: Casuistry, Contingency, and Ambiguity I. Islamic Philosophy and Theology Feriel Bouhafa, The Dialectics of Ethics: Moral Ontology and Epistemology in Islamic Philosophy Frank Griffel, The Place of Virtue Ethics within the Post-Classical Discourse on ḥikma: Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s al-Nafs wa-l-rūḥ wa-sharḥ quwāhumā Ayman Shihadeh, Psychology and Ethical Epistemology: An Ashʿarī Debate with Muʿtazilī Ethical Realism, 11th-12th C. Hannah C. Erlwein, The Moral Obligation to Worship God Alone: Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Analysis in the Tafsīr Anna Ayse Akasoy, Philosophy in the Narrative Mode: Alexander the Great as an Ethical Character from Roman to Medieval Islamicate Literature II. Islamic Jurisprudence Ziad Bou Akl, From Norm Evaluation to Norm Construction: The Metaethical Origin of al-Ghazālī’s Radical Infallibilism Felicitas Opwis, The Ethical Turn in Legal Analogy: Imbuing the Ratio Legis with Maṣlaḥa Robert Gleave, Moral Assessments and Legal Categories: The Relationship between Rational Ethics and Revealed Law in Post-Classical Imāmī Shīʿī Legal Theory Omar Farahat, Moral Value and Commercial Gain: Three Classical Islamic Approaches III Hadith, Quran, and Adab Mutaz al-Khatib, Consult Your Heart: The Self as a Source of Moral Judgment Tareq Moqbel, “As Time Grows Older, the Qurʾān Grows Younger”: The Ethical Function of Ambiguity in Qurʾānic Narratives Enass Khansa, Can Reading Animate Justice? A Conversation from Alf Layla wa-Layla (The Thousand and One Nights) Nuha AlShaar, The Interplay of Religion and Philosophy in al-Tawḥīdī’s Political Thought and Practical Ethics William Ryle Hodges, Muḥammad ʿAbduh’s Notion of Political Adab: Ethics as a Virtue of Modern Citizenship in Late 19th Century Khedival Egypt

Liberal Islamic Theology in Conservative Russia: Taufik Ibragim’s “Qurʾānic Humanism”

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Michael Kemper ◽  
Gulnaz Sibgatullina
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Rational Approach ◽  
Islamic Philosophy ◽  
Islamic Theology ◽  
Islamic Tradition ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Late Nineteenth ◽  
Academic Elite ◽  
Islamic Extremism

Abstract This article studies the work of the Moscow-based Syrian academic scholar Taufik Ibragim. Originally a Marxist historian of Islamic philosophy and kalām, after the end of the ussr Ibragim became one of Russia’s most authoritative scholars also of the Qurʾān and the Islamic tradition more broadly. Since the mid-2000s, Ibragim has publicly propagated the concept of “Qurʾānic humanism”, which is meant to demonstrate the tolerance of the Qurʾān and the humanist character of Islam in general, against Islamic extremism and stagnation in Muslim thought. In his opposition to the dominant political “traditionalism” in Russia’s Islamic landscape, Ibragim links back to the heritage of the Tatar Muslim educational and religious reformers (Jadids) of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Without reference to any other contemporary Islamic thinker, Ibragim advocates a reform of Islam to adapt it to the conditions of modern Russia. His interpretations appeal to Russia’s academic elite, as well as to the Jadid-oriented muftiate of the Russian Federation (dumrf) in Moscow, which until recently propagated Ibragim’s concepts against the vague “traditionalism” that other muftiates in the Russian Federation claim to follow. But his insistence on a rational approach to the Qurʾān and his challenging of the authority of ḥadīth have brought Ibragim the enmity of many conservative muftis and Muslim theologians in Russia, and Islamic reformism is under increasing attack.

Scottish Alexanders and Stuart Empire

2019 ◽  
pp. 113-148
Author(s):  
Su Fang Ng
Keyword(s):  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Economic Basis ◽  
Spice Trade ◽  
James Iv ◽  
Alexander Romance

This chapter examines how the Scottish Alexander Romance, Buik of King Alexander the Conquerour, raises issues that are important to the ambitions of James IV of Scotland: religious crusade and dynastic expansion through marriage. Composed in 1460 and attributed to Gilbert Hay, Buik features a crusading Alexander the Great fighting Muslim enemies. The novel’s representation of Alexander’s enemies as Muslims references European fears of the growing power of the Ottomans. James IV wanted both to unite England and Scotland through his marriage and to unite Christendom against the Turks. The chapter discusses Alexander’s transformation from crusader into a merchant in the East, suggesting that it points to the underlying economic basis of the revival of crusading rhetoric—Ottoman control of the spice trade. These two themes—union and crusade—were continuing preoccupations of later Stuarts, including James VI of Scotland.

Akrasia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Steward
Keyword(s):  
Intentional Action ◽  
General Term ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Best Interests ◽  
Weakness Of Will ◽  
Philosophy Of Action ◽  
Moral Philosopher ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Course Of Action

The Greek word ‘akrasia’ is usually said to translate literally as ‘lack of self-control’, but it has come to be used as a general term for the phenomenon known as weakness of will, or incontinence, the disposition to act contrary to one’s own considered judgment about what it is best to do. Since one variety of akrasia is the inability to act as one thinks right, akrasia is obviously important to the moral philosopher, but it is also frequently discussed in the context of philosophy of action. Akrasia is of interest to philosophers of action because although it seems clear that it does occur – that people often do act in ways which they believe to be contrary to their own best interests, moral principles or long-term goals – it also seems to follow from certain apparently plausible views about intentional action that akrasia is simply not possible. A famous version of the suggestion that genuine akrasia cannot exist is found in Socrates, as portrayed by Plato in the Protagoras. Socrates argues that it is impossible for a person’s knowledge of what is best to be overcome by such things as the desire for pleasure – that one cannot choose a course of action which one knows full well to be less good than some alternative known to be available. Anyone who chooses to do something which is in fact worse than something they know they could have done instead, must, according to Socrates, have wrongly judged the relative values of the actions.

Review Article: Recent Travels in Alexanderland

2014 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 136-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Bowden
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Alexander Romance

Abstract:This review of recent books about Alexander the Great and related topics focuses in particular on how much attention scholars have paid to the eastern aspects of the history and historiography of the period. It traces the identification of Alexander as an essentially ‘western’ figure back to the period of the Enlightenment, and shows how the work of scholars in the 18th century set the terms of the subsequent debate. It goes on to show how work on the Alexander Romance displays a far broader and inclusive range of intellectual approaches than traditional Alexander historiography, and suggests that the study of the historical Alexander would benefit from seeing Alexander as belonging in a Near Eastern context as well as a Greek or Macedonian one.

Striving against the ‘Nafs’

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-120
Author(s):  
Mulki Mohamed Al-Sharmani
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Islamic Tradition

I analyze how Somalis in Helsinki re-interpret religious norms on marriage in light of: 1) the challenges of socioeconomic hardships and marginalization in Finland; and 2) ethical principles in Islamic tradition that underlie religious rulings such as striving against the selfishness of the ‘nafs’ (self) and seeking spiritual advancement. I examine how norms on spousal roles and rights are contested and reinterpreted. I highlight how young women, in particular, foreground the ‘ethical' in their religious understandings of marriage norms. I explore if Veit Bader’s1 concept of ‘internal religious governance’ can analytically explain these processes. I draw on data from individual interviews and focus group discussions with women and men; and interviews with mosque imams and a clan elder.

Occasionalism

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Rudolph
Keyword(s):  
Eleventh Century ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Tenth Century ◽  
Islamic Philosophy ◽  
Absolute Power ◽  
The Third ◽  
Islamic Tradition ◽  
The World

This chapter charts the development of the theory of occasionalism within the Islamic tradition until the fifth/eleventh century. Occasionalism emphasizes God’s absolute power by negating natural causality and attributing every causal effect in the world immediately to Him. It is often assumed to be a distinctive, if not exclusive, feature of Sunnīkalāmas opposed to Muʿtazilism, Shīʿism, and Islamic philosophy. The chapter begins with the question of how the foundations of the occasionalist theory were prepared in the evolving Muʿtazilī discussions of the third/ninth and early fourth/tenth century. It then considers the role of Abū l-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī in the completion and final formulation of the theory before turning to later developments originating with some Ashʿarī theologians of the late fourth/tenth and the fifth/eleventh century. It also looks at the seventeenth chapter ofTahāfut al-falāsifa, in which Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111) discusses occasionalism and the problematic of causality.

scholarly journals Philosophical conceptualization of evil in the ethical space of Confucianism

2021 ◽  
pp. 30-41
Author(s):  
Aleksei Ivanovich Aleksandrov ◽  
Andrei Andreevich Kovalev
Keyword(s):  
The Political ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Virtuous Life ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Good And Evil ◽  
The Ideal ◽  
Ethical Space

The subject of this research is the philosophical conceptualization of evil in the Confucianism. This goal is achieved by solving the following tasks: 1) assessment of Confucianism as a synthesis of the philosophical views of Confucius and Mencius; 2) determination of good and evil as  the contrasting concepts in the ethical space, which is based on the ideal of a “person of high nature” Junzi and the real world of a “petty person"; 3) evaluation of evil as the antipode of good, which is based on the sense of duty and regard of moral rules. The novelty of this research consists in the first within the Russian historical-philosophical literature comparative analysis of the views of Confucius and Mencius upon the nature of evil, examination of the genesis of such representations, and their relevance for modern philosophy. Representations on the nature of good and evil of Confucius and Mencius are based on the contrast within the ethical space of the ideal of a “gentleman” (due) and the reality of a “petty person”. The virtue of a “gentleman” is a means of achieving good; and the virtuous life leads to prosperity of the country. Evil of a “petty person” captured by selfish motives, leads to social demise and political disintegration. Mecius applies same moral principles, which govern the individual’s everyday life, to the political sphere of social existence. The thinker underlines circumscription of the monarchs, indicating that even the monarch – if not a “gentleman”, but merely a “petty person” – can be corrupted by evil, in which case the country faced demise.

scholarly journals ÉTICA, DIREITO DE RESPOSTA E A ESTREIA DE LAURO JARDIM EM “O GLOBO”

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 704
Author(s):  
Daniel Dantas Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Ethical Question ◽  
Business Associations ◽  
Moral Issues ◽  
Moral Principles ◽  
Palabras Clave ◽  
The Press ◽  
The Right

Este trabalho discute questões ético-morais do jornalismo brasileiro, a partir dos princípios deontológicos da ANJ, da ANER e da FENAJ, especialmente com relação ao exercício do direito de resposta. Para tanto, retomamos a discussão da questão ética no jornalismo a partir da dimensão da parresia e da coragem da verdade em Foucault (2011) e discutimos noções de ética como o estudo das relações entre os sujeitos sociais e os princípios morais. Destacamos a resistência que as associações empresariais (ANJ e ANER) têm ao direito de resposta e sua implicação sobre a imagem de personagens denunciados pela imprensa.  Por fim, analisamos o episódio da estreia do jornalista Lauro Jardim como colunista de “O Globo” e o fato de sua principal manchete em primeira página ter sido objeto de uma errata menos de um mês depois no mesmo espaço editorial.   PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Ética; Deontologia; Jornalismo; Lauro Jardim; O Globo.     ABSTRACT This paper discusses ethical-moral issues in Brazilian journalism, based on the ethical principles of ANJ, ANER and FENAJ, especially regarding the exercise of the right of reply. For that, we return to the discussion of the ethical question in journalism from the dimension of parrhesia and the courage of truth in Foucault (2011) and we discuss notions of ethics as the study of the relations between social subjects and moral principles. We emphasize the resistance that the business associations (ANJ and ANER) have to the right of reply and their implication on the image of characters denounced by the press. Finally, we analyze the episode of the debut of the journalist Lauro Jardim as a columnist for "O Globo" and the fact that his main headline on the first page was errata less than a month later in the same editorial space.   KEYWORDS: Ethics; Deontology; Journalism; Lauro Jardim; O Globo.     RESUMEN Este artículo describe las cuestiones éticas y morales del periodismo brasileño, a partir de los principios éticos de la ANJ, el Aner y la FENAJ, especialmente en relación con el ejercicio del derecho de respuesta. Por lo tanto, reanudamos la discusión de la ética en el periodismo desde el tamaño de parresía y el valor de la verdad en Foucault (2011) y se discuten las nociones de ética como el estudio de las relaciones entre los sujetos sociales y los principios morales. Destacamos la resistencia que las asociaciones empresariales (ANJ y Aner) tienen el derecho de réplica y su implicación en la imagen de los caracteres reportados por la prensa. Por último, se analiza el primer episodio de Lauro Jardim periodista y columnista de "El Globo" y el hecho de que su principal titular en la primera página han sido objeto de una corrección de errores de menos de un mes después en el mismo espacio editorial.   PALABRAS CLAVE: Ética; deontología; el periodismo; Lauro Jardim; O Globo.

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