Subjects
E-Books
Towards the Construction of a Contemporary Islamic Educational Theory
Fathi Malkawi
Islamization of Knowledge: Conceptual Background, Vision and Tasks
Salisu Shehu
Economic Guidelines in the Qur'an
S.M. Hasanuz Zaman
Contribution of Islamic Thought to Modern Economics
Misbah Oreibi
An Introduction to Islamic Economics
Muhammad Akram Khan
Islamic Thought and Culture
Isma'il R. al Faruqi
Islamization of Knowledge: Background, Models and the Way Forward
Malam Sa'idu Sulaiman
| Reflections into the Spirit of the Islamic Corpus of Knowledge and the Rise of the New Science |
 |
 |
 |
|
Mahmoud Dhaouadi There is no question that contemporary western civilization has been dominant in the field of science since the Renaissance. Western scientific superiority is not limited to specific scientific disciplines, but is rather an overall scientific domination covering both the so-called exact and the human-social sciences. Western science is the primary reference for specialists in such areas as physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, economics, psychology, and sociology. It is in this sense that Third World underdevelopment is not only economic, social, and industrial; it also suffers from scientific-cultural underdevelopment, or what we call "The Other Underdevelopment" (Dhaouadi 1988).The impressive progress of western science since Newton and Descartes does not mean, however, that it has everything tight or perfect. In fact, its flaws are becoming more visible. In the last few decades, western science has begun to experience a shift from what is called classical science to new science. Classical science was associated with the celestial mechanics of Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, the new physics of Galileo, and the philosophy of Descartes. Descartes introduced a radical division between mind and matter, while Newton and his fellows presented a new science that looked at the world as a kind of giant clock. The laws of this world were time-reversible, for it was held that there was no difference between past and future. As the laws were deterministic, both the past and the future could be predicted once the present was known. The vision of the emerging new science tends to heal the division between matter and spirit and to do away with the mechanical dimension of the world as represented by classical science. There are four scientists who have contributed to the emergence of this new worldview in science: Niels Bohr (theoretical physicist), James Lovelock (chemist and inventor), Rupert Sheldrake (plant physiologist), and Ilya Prigogine (physical chemist and Nobel laureate). The manifesto of the emerging new worldview arrived at by them could be summarized as follows: the science of physics has to accommodate biological phenomena and to make room for anticipation and intentionality, both of which were banned completely and forever from science by the Newtonian revolution. Today nature abounds with meaning and purpose, a situation that eliminates the division between human and nonhuman nature that was so much a part of classical science. Nature is no longer an alien world of blind mechanical forces; it is alive, as we are, and operates according to the same principles that we do. |
Upcoming Events
Summer Students Program - 2012
June 11 – July 18, 2012
Application Form
The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) is pleased to announce its Summer Students Program for 2012, which will run for five and a half weeks between Monday, June 11 and Wednesday, July 18, 2012. The program is designed for senior undergraduate and graduate students who are majoring in the humanities or social science disciplines and who have a particular interest in developing their knowledge and research skills in the core areas of Islamic studies such as Qur’an, Hadith, Fiqh or Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic History and Civilization, Contemporary Islamic Thought and Muslim World Affairs. The program also provides in-depth analysis and discussions – in seminar format – on subjects related to contemporary Islamic reform movements, Islamic banking and finance and faith-based entrepreneurship.
During the course of the program, students would complete a total of 200 hours of direct research, instruction and administrative work at IIIT and would receive a certificate of completion from IIIT. Shenandoah University has agreed to offer four credit hours to students who are interested. Those interested in getting credit for the program need to discuss arrangements with their respective institutions and with the Program Director at IIIT. Top performing students may qualify for a one-year, non-resident research fellowship at IIIT that would allow them to continue doing research at IIIT, take online and other courses and present papers at academic conferences throughout the year.
Accommodation for out-of-area students will be provided by IIIT, if needed. In addition, IIIT will pay each student a scholarship of $1,000 to cover their living and other expenses, to be paid in two installments. Students should have their own health insurance coverage. IIIT does not provide health – or any other form – of insurance to students.
Those interested should fill in the online application form and submit it with their updated C.V .and a recent transcript no later than April 30, 2012. Official transcripts should be sent to the following address:
Director of Summer Students Program
International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
500 Grove St., Herndon, VA 20170
Tel 703 471 1133 Ext 101
Email: abubaker@iiit.org
Links
Int. Inst. of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
Int. Inst. of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC)
Int. Inst. of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS)
