Metaphysics & Sociology

A lecture addressing the myth of metaphysical neutrality in sociology and some of the rationale behind the dismissal of metaphysical categories in the social sciences. The piece concludes by asserting some normative elements of the Islamic social order and their raison d’être and how they reflect the unity of the Islamic sciences. PDF: Arabic • …

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The Problem of Reductionism in Philosophy of Mind and its Implications for Theism and the Principle of Soul

This essay seeks to delineate points of entry for Muslim theological reasoning into conversations in the field of philosophy of mind. By equating the Kalam principle of soul with its foremost faculty, intellection, Muslim theological reasoning lends itself well to these modes of inquiry. By looking at the work of Saul Kripke and Hilary Putnam, …

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Metaphysical Dimensions of Muslim Environmental Consciousness

Much of the contemporary Muslim discourse surrounding the environment takes place at the level of ethical duty—juristic commands and prohibitions. The present essay seeks to complement and underpin this necessary ethical discourse by offering considerations as to the metaphysical dimensions of a Muslim environmental consciousness. Through a beautiful and lucid engagement with the Qur’an, the …

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Reducing The Role of Decision-Making Biases in Muslim Responsa

The role of decision-making biases in the fatwa process. Muslims often consult a legal expert (a mufti) concerning legal issues and to mediate intra-personal situations. A consultation with a mufti follows a process which includes conception, adaption, evaluation, and, finally, the response. While reviewing fatwas for errors, the author observed that many of the errors …

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Muhammad Shahrur’s “Cargo Cult”: A meditation on his underlying conceptual framework

The purpose of this paper is to present an integral critique that explores the underlying conceptual structure of the work of Muhammad Shahrur. It is the author’s contention that every thinker and writer is an inheritor of a chain of ideas or an intellectual system that he necessarily manifests in his writings, consciously or unconsciously. …

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