30 research outputs found
Muhammad Iqbal, Philip Pettit and the Explanation of Social Ontology
No full textThis article explicates the nature of social ontology. There are three social holist theses relevant to the problem: First, the individual and society are not independent of each other. Second, the development of the individual’s human potential depends upon the nature of society. Third, a good society cultivates rather than undermines human potential. To explore the problem, this paper juxtaposes Muhammad Iqbal and Philip Pettit, two social holist philosophers, who belong to the Islamic and Western traditions, respectively. Drawing on the Islamic tradition, Iqbal argues that the individual cannot develop human potential, such as creativity, without a society. Iqbal’s social ontology, based on his theory of egohood, asserts that the individual ego (the individual) develops in relationship to the holistic ego (society). Iqbal repudiates a totalitarian society while supporting an Islamic society based on the principles of freedom, equality, and fraternity. In the Western tradition, Pettit posits an idea of holistic individualism by drawing on four contrasting social theories: atomism, holism, collectivism, and individualism. Pettit envisions a society that is neither totalitarian nor anarchic, but it is a creation of autonomous individuals. Hence, Iqbal’s and Pettit’s social ontological positions are significant to understanding the nature of society and their malign and benign roles in the social world
Muhammad Iqbal’s Ethics of Reverence for Humanity in the Islamic Tradition
No full textThis article explains Muhammad Iqbal’s ethics of reverence for humanity and determines how it fits with Islamic ethics. The cardinal goal of Islamic ethics is reverence for humanity. The Arabic expression ‘Islam’ means ‘peace’. The cardinal claim of Islamic ethics is that human beings deserve reverence because they are created with the best conformation. The Arabic phrase Ahsan al-Taqweem refers to the best conformation, which means a wide range of unique physical, metaphysical, moral, aesthetic and cognitive potentials. From a broader perspective, Islamic ethics foster reverence for humanity based on three primary moral and political values: equality, freedom, and fraternity. Drawing on the Islamic tradition, Iqbal argues that all human beings are worthy of reverence irrespective of their racial, cultural, religious, or linguistic disparities because of their distinctive potentials, such as creativity, freedom, and knowledge. These potentials are preordained in human beings by birth. To develop these potentials, Iqbal posits his theory of egohood which fosters unique individuality. Under certain conditions, such as individual-society relationships, freedom, equality, and fraternity, Iqbal insists on developing these potentials to acquire the status of a perfect human. According to Iqbal, a perfect human is a God’s vicegerent on earth, who collaborates with Him in creation. Iqbal’s ethics of reverence for humanity emancipates human beings from poverty, war, violence, humiliation, discrimination, exploitation, hatred, and destruction. Yet, Iqbal’s ethics of reverence for humanity furnishes human beings with prosperity, peace, self-respect, equality, dignity, friendship, fraternity, and survival on earth. Thus, Iqbal’s ethics of reverence for humanity is consistent with Islam’s ethics of reverence for humanity
Making Sense of Muhammad Iqbal's Metaphysics of Egohood
No full textMuhammad Iqbal’s theory of egohood, also known as Khudi, selfhood, I-amness, or individuality, builds the foundation of his entire philosophical oeuvre. Despite a massive hoard of literature produced on the exposition of Iqbal’s theory of egohood, it is still elusive to grasp. Iqbal’s theory of egohood is a metaphysical theory that explains not only the ontology of the universe but also of human beings. An ego is an ontological substance: a unit of metaphysical or mental reality. This substance refers to the unique individuality of the existing beings. Iqbal's metaphysics of egohood contradicts the pantheistic metaphysics developed by Ibn al-Arabi's writings in the Islamic tradition. To make sense of Iqbal's theory of egohood, I investigate three questions: first, why did Iqbal posit his theory of egohood? I argue that Iqbal developed his theory of egohood to reject the pantheistic metaphysics, which undermines the individualities of God and humans as autonomous agencies. According to Iqbal's metaphysics, God and human persons refer to autonomous individualities. Second, what is Iqbal's theory of egohood? Iqbal's theory of egohood explains the ontology of the psychical (mental or immaterial) world, the organic (living physical) world, and the inorganic (non-living physical) world. Iqbal uses the expression Supreme Ego for God, while (finite) egos for humans and other entities of the universe. Third, what does Iqbal want to do with his theory of egohood? Iqbal wants to explain his social, moral, political, and religious philosophies with his theory of egohood. So, the article intends to make sense of Iqbal's metaphysical theory of egohood
Framing a Cosmopolitan Common Mind Approach for Global Challenges
No full textThis article posits and defends an argument that a cosmopolitan
common mind approach is essential for resolving global challenges that
cannot be resolved by individuals working independently from one
another, such as achieving global peace, cleaning the environment, and
improving public health. A ‘cosmopolitan common mind’ refers to an
intersubjective recognition across states, cultures, or continents. This
argument of the cosmopolitan common mind is centred on Philip Pettit’s
theory of the common mind and cosmopolitanism. Pettit argues that a
common mind is a shared mind. The standard account of
cosmopolitanism claims that all human beings are members of the
human community. This account is based on three key ideals:
individualism, egalitarianism, and universalism. Cosmopolitanism
considers individuals rather than groups, nations, or states, giving them
equal moral status across the world without any discrimination. A
cosmopolitan common mind can direct collective actions across cultures
or continents to resolve global problems. Terrorism and climate change
are global problems that are not the products of individual actions but
collective actions. For instance, pollution is created by many people
working together. If people all together create pollution, they all
together can stop it. The problems of establishing global peace and clean
ecology are similar to preventing pollution because they are beyond the
ability of any lone individual to solve. If it is not impossible, there is a
need to develop a cosmopolitan common mind to acquire the common
good. The research concludes that the cosmopolitan common mind
approach can be a promising framework for resolving contemporary
global challenges. In qualitative research methodology, I use
empirically informed philosophical analysis to critically evaluate
documentary resources, including journal papers, academic books, and
the proceedings of conferences and congresses
The Politics of Nationalism, Human Development and Global Peace
Full text linkThis article investigates whether the politics of nationalism fosters
human development and global peace. Nationalism is a political
ideology that primarily gives birth to nation-states based on particular
shared identities, such as religion, race, culture, or language. Empirical
evidence shows that nationalism causes conflicts, which leads to
violence, terrorism or war. On the one hand, nationalism gives birth to
nation-states; on the other hand, it creates hostility in the world.
However, Lahouari Addi argues that giving birth to nations and their
nation-building are two different social phenomena. Addi contends that
the public sphere and civil peace are the essential conditions for nation-
building. Addi’s argument for nation-building is promising. In line with
this argument, this paper asserts that the politics of nationalism should
make human development and peace in their respective nation-states. To
explain malign and benign aspects, the paper differentiates between two
kinds of nationalism: negative and productive. Negative nationalism,
based on the politics of exclusion, discriminates, humiliates, exploits,
and coerces the people of other nations, which causes conflicts and,
eventually violence. This strand of nationalism is inconsistent with
human development and global peace. Instead, productive nationalism,
based on the politics of inclusion, fosters a sense of reverence for
humanity which supports self-respect, dignity, freedom, equality, and
fraternity in the world. Productive nationalism helps develop human
potential, which leads to positive peace through creative
accomplishments, such as performing arts, literature, and sports. Thus,
the research implies that the politics of productive nationalism creates
positive moral values to promote cooperation among people within and
across the nations, which fosters human development and peace in the
world. In the domain of qualitative research, this paper adopts the
methodology of empirically informed philosophical analysis to evaluate
the documentary resources
Reverence as a Cardinal Ethical Value in the Western Philosophy
Full text linkThis article explains and defends reverence as a cardinal
ethical value in the Western philosophical tradition, which was
considered an underpinning value in ancient society, and it then
gradually declined over time. Many contemporary Western
philosophers embark on respect rather than reverence. Reverence and
respect are not the same. Reverence is all-inclusive, while respect is
limited. Reverence values the genuine person, while respect may
flatter a powerful arrogant person. Reverence is a cardinal moral and
political value necessary for decent politics, education, law,
economics, and religion. Reverence is not only essential for becoming
a perfect human person but also for instituting a good society. To
expound the notion of reverence in the Western tradition, I select four
significant Western intellectuals: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Bertrand Russell, Albert Schweitzer, and Paul Woodruff. Goethe
posits a tripartite account of reverence: reverence for God, Earth, and
human beings. Russell argues for reverence in politics and education.
Schweitzer not only developed his account of reverence but also lived
his life according to it. Schweitzer declares that his life is his
argument, which is reverence for life, life in all its forms. Woodruff
intends to revive the notion of reverence in global politics and ethics.
So, the article examines the accounts of reverence posited by Goethe,
Russell, Schweitzer, and Woodruff and defends its role as a cardinal
moral and political value vital for politics, education, and religion for
acquiring the common good in the world
The Politics of Invisible Hand: Individual Actions, and the Emergence of Macro-Level Social Phenomena
No full textThis article critiques the account of the invisible hand theory that individual actions bring about macro-level social benefits. The standard account of the invisible hand theory asserts that individual actions, motivated mostly by self-interest, advance the common good inadvertently and unknowingly. The invisible hand theory provides explanation how social reality, such as emergence of language, social morality and culture, evolve through individual actions. The account of the invisible hand embedded in self-interest is generally attributed to Adam Smith. Adam Smith’s account of the invisible hand is centred on self-interest and freedom. In the invisible hand theory, freedom unfetters individual actions based on self-interests and promotes a kind of competition in an economic sense, which is known as capitalism. Certainly, the account of the invisible hand theory, which is based on only self-interest is un-Smithian. I argue that although the invisible hand theory provides an adequate explanation for the evolution of language, morality, culture, and market, it promotes an unbridled capitalism, which, in an economic sense, may cause malign consequences. In qualitative research methodology, I adopt the empirically informed philosophical analysis method to documentary resources, including journal papers, academic books, and proceedings of conferences and congresses
Muhammad Iqbal as a Cosmopolitan Philosopher
No full textThis article makes an exposition of the substantial cosmopolitan strands in Muhammad Iqbal’s writings. Cosmopolitanism is a philosophical approach that recognises human beings across nations to be members of a global tribe. This approach supports the idea of world citizenship, global state or global institutions. Individualism, egalitarianism and universalism are the key principles of cosmopolitanism. I argue that Iqbal is a cosmopolitan philosopher because his philosophical thinking is not only consistent with the core principles of cosmopolitanism but also contains essential cosmopolitan aspects, including intellectual, moral, and political. Iqbal postulates the idea of the human self that acquires the idea of a unique individuality which is compatible with egalitarianism and universalism in certain ways. Iqbal’s intellectual cosmopolitanism fosters the cognitive development of people for enhancing their creativity, which is based not only on the oriental and the occidental traditions but also on the intertemporal epochs with an interdisciplinary approach ranging primarily from philosophy, religion and literature to science. Intellectual cosmopolitanism produces creative human agency. Iqbal’s moral cosmopolitanism develops certain moral values to make human perfection and human fraternity. Iqbal’s political cosmopolitanism envisions a federation of states in which people practising spiritual democracy in the kingdom of ends on earth create and sustains global peace. These strands in Iqbal’s philosophical ideas create a creative human agency, human fraternity, reverence for humanity, and global peace, respectively. Thus, I argue that Iqbal meets all the conditions squarely to be a cosmopolitan philosopher. Keywords: Cosmopolitanism, Nationalism, Ethics, Politics, Muslim Philosophy. </p
Muhammad Iqbal’s Pacifist Ethics and Global Peace in the Post-9/11 World
Full text linkThis article fosters the significance of Muhammad Iqbal’s pacifist ethics in the post-9/11 world. In the post-9/11, there emerged a new world order in which violence emerged in many guises, including terrorism and war, which has devastated global peace since the advent of the twenty-first century. Undeniably, the threat of a nuclear war has been constantly harassing the world. Under these atrocious conditions, the question is whether Iqbal’s pacifist ethics could help achieve and sustain global peace. Iqbal was an empirically informed and trained philosopher in the early twentieth century in the Western and Islamic traditions. He witnessed the First World War and identified the factors of the Second World War, which had started just a year after his death. Iqbal identified that materialistic interests and colonial and imperial exploitations cause conflicts, eventually leading to violence and war. The recurrent problem is how we avoid the Third World War to sustain global peace. Iqbal’s ethics offer two ideas for achieving global peace: reverence for humanity and human fraternity. Reverence for humanity helps develop human potential, which promotes creative activities vital for positive peace. Human fraternity is the only dependable unity among human beings, despite their particular races, colours, cultures, or languages, for acquiring global peace. The article thus demonstrates the relevance and significance of Iqbal’s ethics in achieving and sustaining a peaceful co- existence in the world
The Ethical Implications of Immanuel Kant's Philosophy for Human Development and Global Peace
Full text linkThis article explains and examines the ethical implications of Immanuel Kant’s philosophy for human development and global peace. The article addresses the problem of whether Kant’s philosophy advances human development and global peace. I argue that Kant’s philosophy promotes human development and global peace. The argument is based on the following premises: Kant’s moral philosophy supports reverence for humanity. Reverence for humanity promotes the cultivation of human potential, such as rationality. Kant considers rationality a property par excellence in human persons, making them superior to other animals; so, rationality is a guiding principle that makes human persons worthy of reverence. Rationality helps resolve conflicts among people in a society. Moreover, Kant’s political philosophy promotes cooperation among states, eventually leading to global peace. Peace and human development depend on each other: human development develops positive peace, and negative peace augments human development. Kant’s ethics of reverence for humanity promotes positive peace, while his politics of cosmopolitan rights creates negative peace among states. Negative peace is the absence of violence, while positive peace refers to activities affirming life. In general, Kant’s moral and political philosophy is characteristically rational and cosmopolitan, which strives to cultivate natural capacities among human persons across the states, which enhances human development and global peace. In the arena of qualitative research, this article uses the method of empirically informed philosophical analysis to examine journal papers, scholarly books, proceedings of conferences, and congresses
