Criticism of modern knowledge by some Islamic thinkers

Abstract

A critical approach to the modern type of knowledge is a thematic issue of the contemporary Islamic discourse. Reducing the overall reality to the concept (rationalism), measure and quantity (empiricism) and to a set of objects (positivism), has led to the reduction of reality as well as neglecting of its metaphysical foundation and spiritual values. In modern history, this approach has led to a "technical picture of the world" or "technicalization of the world" that has created numerous crises in Western history: the ecological crisis, the crisis of instrumental rationality, the moral crisis... Everyone agrees that the problem of modern knowledge lies in the neglect of the essence and that it leans on change for the sake of change, losing its spiritual and moral content. Conceptualizing knowledge through metaphysical and moral contents is the goal of the discourse of Hossein Nasr, Naguib al-Attas, Ismail Faruqi and Fazlur Rahman.

Keywords

• constancy
• change
• intuitive cognition
• rational cognition
• moral values
• creative knowledge