Description
In this bookthe author argues that the Falasifa,the Philosophers of the Islamic Golden Age, are usefully interpreted throughthe prism of the contemporary, western ethics of belief. He contends that theirposition amounts to what he calls ‘Moderate Evidentialism’ – that only for theepistemic elite what one ought to believe is determined by one’s evidence. Theauthor makes the case that the Falasifa’s position is well argued, ingeniouslycircumvents issues in the epistemology of testimony, and is well worth takingseriously in the contemporary debate. He reasons that this is especially thecase since the position has salutary consequences for how to respond tothe sceptic, and for how we are to conceive of extremist belief.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements.- Chapter1: Falsafa as Ethics of Belief.- 1.1: Knowledge in Islam.- 1.2: TheEthics of Belief in the West.- 1.3: TheEthics of Belief in Islam.- 1.3.1: Imān vs Islam.- 1.3.2:Islamic Evidentialism.- 1.3.3:Moderate Evidentialism.- 1.3.4:Islamic Anti-Evidentialism.- 1.3.5:Moderate Anti-Evidentialism.- 1.4:Concluding Remarks.- Chapter 2: Certainty &Prophecy.- 2.1: TheQuestion of the Epistemic Elite.- 2.2: The Conditions of Certainty.- 2.3: TheActive Intellect and the Prophetic Imagination.- 2.4:Moderate Evidentialism vs. Moderate Anti-Evidentialism.- 2.5:Concluding Remarks.- Chapter 3: Prophecy &Politics.- 3.1: Human perfection.- 3.2: The Utopian City State.- 3.3: The Imperfect Cities,Liberalism and Democracy.- 3.4: Conclusion: Towards aNeo-Pyhrronism?.- References.
