The Formation of Arab Reason: Text, Tradition and the Construction of Modernity in the Arab World (Contemporary Arab Scholarship in the Social Sciences)

Annotation Since the earliest period of Islamic history, Arab thought has been dominated by a reverence for tradition and textual analysis. In this groundbreaking work, the great contemporary Arab philosopher Mohammed Abed Al-Jabiri seeks to chart a route towards modernity via the proposition that respect for textualism and tradition are not inconsistent with rationalism and that both history and philosophy are key to the evolution of knowledge systems and ways of reasoning in Arab culture. This book has been an enormous influence within the Arab world on the Islam and modernity discourse. It is published here for the first time in English and provides a fascinating insight into the currents of contemporary Arab thought Since The Earliest Period Of Islamic History, Arab Thought And Reason Has Been Dominated By A Reverence For Tradition And Textual Analysis. In This Groundbreaking Work, The Great Contemporary Arab Philosopher Mohammed Abed Al-jabri Seeks To Chart A Course Towards Modernity Via The Proposition That Respect For Textualism And Tradition Are Not Inconsistent With Rationalism, And That Both History And Philosophy Are Key To The Evolution Of Knowledge Systems And Ways Of Reasoning In Arab Culture. Al-jabri Dissects The Systems Through Which Knowledge Is Obtained And Verified In Arab Thought, And Demonstrates Their Fundamental Bias Towards Analogical Reasoning And Premodern Authoritative Referents, Some Of Which Are Inherently Resistant To Empirical Analysis. In An Impassioned Defence Of Rationalism, He Argues That These Textual Reference Points Must Be Interpreted And Mediated With Critical Analytical Tools. He Advocates An Evolution Of Arab Thought To Accommodate The Changeability Of Values, Interpretations And Structures Over Space And Time, To Escape An A-historical Imprisonment. --book Jacket. Part 1: Arab Reason-- In What Meaning? : Preliminary Approaches: 1. Reason And Culture -- 2. Arab Cultural Time And The Problematic Of Development -- 3. The Eral Of Codification: The Authoritative Referential Framework Of Arab Thought -- Part 2: The Formation Of Arab Reason: The Epistemological And Ideological In Arab Culture: 4. The Bedouin, The Maker Of The Arab World -- 5. Legitimising The Legitimiser 1. The Codification Of 'opinion' And 'legitimisation' Of The Past -- 6. Legitimising The Legitimiser. 2. : Analogising According To 'precedent' -- 7. The Religious 'rational' And The Irrational Of 'reason' -- 8. Resigned Reason 1: Within The Ancient Legacy -- 9. Resigned Reason 2: Within Arab-islamic Culture -- 10. The Introduction Of Reason Into Islam -- 11. The Crisis Of Fundamentals And The Fundamentals Of The Crisis -- 12. A New Beginning ... However! -- Conclusion: Knowledge, Science And Politics In Arab Culture. Muḥammad Ābid Jābirī. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Translated From The Arabic. Contents......Page 5 Foreword......Page 7 Part I - Arab Reason... In What Meaning? Preliminary Approaches......Page 11 1. Reason and Culture......Page 13 2. Arab Cultural Time and the Problematic of Development......Page 45 3. The Era of Codifiacation: The Authoritative Referential Framework of Arab Thought......Page 69 Part II - The Formation of Arab Reason. The Epistemological and Ideological in Arab culture......Page 91 4. The Bedouin, the Maker of the Arab World......Page 93 5. Legitimising the Legitimiser......Page 119 6. Legitimising the Legitimiser......Page 143 7. The Religious 'Rational' and the Irrational of 'Reason'......Page 169 8. Resigned Reason......Page 205 9. Resigned Reason......Page 235 10. The Introduction of Reason into Islam......Page 279 11. The Crisis of Fundamentals and the Fundamentals of the Crisis......Page 321 12. A New Beginning... However!......Page 375 Conclusion. Knowledge, Science and Politics in Arab Culture......Page 423 Bibliography......Page 449 Index......Page 459 Muḥammad ʻĀbid Jābirī is one of the most important philosophers in the contemporary Arab world. In this book, he taps in to highly topical debates on Islam and modernity