Challenges Facing Islamic Philosophy in Contemporary Era

IQNA – Islamic philosophy, as one of the rich traditions of rational thought, faces numerous challenges and opportunities in the contemporary era.

These include the identity challenge and the internal challenge, according to an article by Professor Mohammad Fanaei Eshkevari, in which he has discussed strategies to revive Islamic philosophy.

The article is as follows:

Fundamental Challenges of Islamic Philosophy in the Present Era and Strategies for Its Revival

Introduction

Islamic philosophy, as one of the rich traditions of rational thought, faces numerous challenges and opportunities in the contemporary era. Inquiring about the most significant challenge facing this philosophical tradition requires deep reflection on its current status both globally and its internal substance. It seems that addressing this challenge necessitates two fundamental and interconnected steps: first, the discovery and authentic recognition of the tradition of Islamic philosophy, and second, its modernization and updating to play a role in contemporary philosophical dialogue. Here, we will primarily focus on the first step.

1. The Identity Challenge: Marginalization on the Global Stage

The truth is that Islamic philosophy is not recognized as a living, authentic, and credible tradition in global academic circles and philosophy departments. Research in this field is confined to small circles of scholars who focus mainly on Peripatetic philosophy (particularly the works of Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, and Ibn Sina) and often examine it within the framework of Latin medieval philosophy to understand the transmission of the Greek heritage to the Western world. Therefore, the most fundamental challenge is to prove the authenticity, internal richness, historical continuity, and generative capacities of this philosophical tradition to the world's scientific community. Unfortunately, no serious and systematic work has been done in this regard.

2. The Internal Challenge: Poverty of Self-Awareness

The prerequisite for any effort to introduce Islamic philosophy to the world is its deep and comprehensive recognition by its own scientific community. The essential question is: Do we ourselves know Islamic philosophy as well as it deserves? The answer is negative. This tradition has a rich and diverse historical background, but our knowledge of it is mainly limited to incomplete readings of two or three great philosophers like Ibn Sina and Mulla Sadra, focusing only on parts of their works. Other currents, schools of thought, and a multitude of influential philosophers have been neglected. Afzal al-Din Kashani was discovered by the American William Chittick, who collected, researched, and published his Persian works. Even after this introduction, our researchers still do not refer to them because the unspoken and unwritten assumption is that our philosophy is confined to those few philosophers and a few books, and we are not prepared to recognize or even examine the rest. Ibn Khaldun was introduced by Westerners, and there is no trace of him in the works of our philosophers. The same applies to philosophers from the Islamic West, such as Ibn Bajja, Ibn Tufayl, and Ibn Rushd. Even the primary texts of our own prominent philosophers have largely been made available to us through the critical editing and research of non-Muslim scholars (such as Henry Corbin). This indicates an infrastructural and methodological poverty in the study of Islamic philosophy.

3. Macro Strategies for Reviving the First Step (Discovery and Recognition)

To overcome the above challenges, it is essential to formulate a comprehensive and long-term program, the main pillars of which are as follows:

A. Establishment of Specialized Scientific Institutions: Creating centers and institutions with the primary mission of "discovering, researching, critically editing, and publishing" the works of Islamic philosophers based on accepted global standards. This task is itself a complex and technical knowledge requiring the training of specialized personnel.

B. Compilation of a Detailed History of Islamic Philosophy: After preparing the research groundwork, a complete multi-volume history of Islamic philosophy should be authored, providing detailed examinations of the lives, works, and thoughts of all philosophers in this tradition with the necessary elaboration.

C. Classification and Identification of Schools of Thought: We must dedicate effort to identifying and analyzing different intellectual trends in the Islamic world. Besides the three famous schools (Masha', Ishraq, Muta'aliyah), there are numerous distinct philosophical-theological schools or currents that must be identified and introduced.

D. Analysis of Historical Roots and Formative Contexts: This requires research along several fundamental axes:

Examining the process of the transmission of Greek philosophy to the Islamic world and the role of Neo-Platonic commentators, Syriac translators, and others in this transmission (similar to the research of Robert Wisnovsky).

Analyzing the influence of theological schools (including Mu'tazilites, Ash'arites, Maturidites) on the formation and evolution of Islamic philosophy, as well as researching and analyzing the influence of mystical thought on Islamic philosophy.

Researching the influence of pre-Islamic Iranian wisdom and other intellectual traditions on Islamic philosophy.

This research must be conducted directly based on the study of original texts in their primary languages (Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and Persian), not merely through translations of Western works.

E. Adopting a Comprehensive View of the Islamic World: When we speak of Islamic philosophy, we must not limit ourselves to a specific country, region, or language; rather, we must see the Islamic world in its entirety. In recent centuries, although the main philosophical centers have been more prominent in certain regions, such as Iran, this does not mean intellectual life has ceased in other areas. In fact, numerous centers across the geography of the Islamic world have witnessed the flourishing of profound intellectual efforts and the formation of new currents, the study of which is essential for a complete understanding of the history of Islamic philosophy. In various regions of the Islamic world, such as the Indian subcontinent, the Arab world, North Africa, Asia Minor, Central Asia, and the Malay-Indonesian archipelago, efforts have been made and currents have formed, at least some of which must be accepted as part of Islamic philosophy, and we must not neglect them when studying the history and evolution of Islamic philosophy. They represent indigenous responses to shared philosophical concerns and questions rooted in the common Islamic tradition.

Summary

What has been briefly presented here are examples of the multitude of fundamental tasks necessary for the rediscovery and introduction of Islamic philosophy. Only after these research infrastructures are established can we hope to compile the "Ideal Course of Islamic Philosophy" and then take the final step, namely its "modernization and updating" to have an impact in the contemporary intellectual sphere. Realizing this extensive program requires the participation of hundreds of specialized researchers, systematic planning, sufficient funding, and efficient, knowledgeable management over a timeframe of several decades. Without this massive scientific investment, speaking about the challenges of Islamic philosophy and proposing solutions for it will lack the necessary credibility. The key point and conclusion is that without a precise and comprehensive understanding of the yesterday and today of Islamic philosophy, one cannot plan desirably for its tomorrow.

By Professor Mohammad Fanaei Eshkevari