Ibn 'Arabi and Modern Thought : The History of Taking Metaphysics Seriously

Ibn 'Arabi and Modern Thought is an invitation to reconsider the central and defining ideas of modernity in the light of Ibn 'Arabi's writings on the Unity of Existence. In these global times it is a curious fact that the writings of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi, which since the 12th century have incalculably influenced the metaphysical structure of much Oriental thought and practice, should still remian relatively unknown and undiscussed in the Western theoretical architecture of the 21st century. This book is the first attempt to bring together the West and the East in an open discourse between the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the scientific, the industrial and the personal. It will be appeal to academics and students in psychology, sociology and philosophy, and to readers with an academic or personal interest in Ibn 'Arabi. Acknowledgements......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 Ibn 'Arabi’s picture of reality......Page 14 The question about questions: knowledge and its essential direction......Page 15 Metaphysics, historically positioned discourses and human aspiration......Page 21 Degrees of knowledge: the principle of immanencing......Page 31 Ibn 'Arabi and modern thought: a recon¥gured topography......Page 34 Notes......Page 44 Ibn 'Arabi, Averroës and philosophy as demonstrative science......Page 48 Philosophy, reason and metaphysics......Page 54 Reason and essential contestability......Page 61 Reason and commitment......Page 65 Scienti¥c philosophy......Page 70 Philosophy of the subject......Page 79 Wahdat al-wujud, wisdom and reason......Page 85 Notes......Page 89 The metaphysics of the era: creation and change......Page 92 Social science and the emergence of the modern era......Page 99 The reorientation of the self: science, technology and industrialization......Page 109 Modernity, postmodernity and relativism......Page 119 Notes......Page 131 The metaphysics of self-knowledge......Page 134 The treatment of the self in modern scienti¥c psychology......Page 146 The relative invisibility of the self under the searchlight of experimentalism......Page 148 Self and experience beyond the experimentalist paradigm......Page 152 The turn towards a discursive–critical perspective......Page 157 Further comments on the treatment of subjectivity and self in psychology and computational models of mind......Page 159 Wider perspectives on the mind and self in the early history of psychology: the case of Wundt and James......Page 167 Psychology, post-empiricist views of science and the self......Page 176 The self as sui generis......Page 181 Psychology and essential contestability......Page 180 Psychology, therapy and the self......Page 183 Feminism and the self......Page 188 Postscript......Page 192 Notes......Page 194 Bibliography......Page 198 Name index......Page 204 Subject index......Page 206 Acknowledgements 7 Contents 8 1 The orientation of this study 12 Introduction 12 Ibn 'Arabi’s picture of reality 14 The question about questions: knowledge and its essential direction 15 Metaphysics, historically positioned discourses and human aspiration 21 Degrees of knowledge: the principle of immanencing 31 Ibn 'Arabi and modern thought: a recon¥gured topography 34 Notes 44 2 Ibn 'Arabi: philosophy and reason 48 Ibn 'Arabi, Averroës and philosophy as demonstrative science 48 Philosophy, reason and metaphysics 54 Reason and essential contestability 61 Reason and commitment 65 Scienti¥c philosophy 70 Philosophy of the subject 79 Wahdat al-wujud, wisdom and reason 85 Notes 89 3 Ibn 'Arabi and the era 92 The metaphysics of the era: creation and change 92 Social science and the emergence of the modern era 99 The reorientation of the self: science, technology and industrialization 109 Modernity, postmodernity and relativism 119 Notes 131 4 Ibn 'Arabi and the self 134 The metaphysics of self-knowledge 134 Modern psychology and the self 146 The treatment of the self in modern scienti¥c psychology 146 The relative invisibility of the self under the searchlight of experimentalism 148 Self and experience beyond the experimentalist paradigm 152 The turn towards a discursive–critical perspective 157 Further comments on the treatment of subjectivity and self in psychology and computational models of mind 159 Wider perspectives on the mind and self in the early history of psychology: the case of Wundt and James 167 Psychology, post-empiricist views of science and the self 176 The self as sui generis 181 Psychology and essential contestability 180 Psychology, therapy and the self 183 Feminism and the self 188 Postscript 192 Notes 194 Bibliography 198 Name index 204 Subject index 206 Deals with the findings of just some of the authorities modern philosophy, social science and psychology in an open discourse between the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the scientific, the industrial and the personal. This book is of interest to academics and students in psychology, sociology, and philosophy. As the subtitle suggests, the approach of this study is to examine certain aspects of contemporary thought and theorizing in the light of the metaphysical teachings of the twelfth-century Andalusian Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi. These penetrating metaphysical and spiritual teachings cross the divides of culture and time, providing unexpectedly modern insight.