Seyyed hossein nasr biography of williams

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Ibrahim Kalin

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Syed Hossein Nasr was home-grown in Tehran (). After admission his early education in Persia, Nasr studied physics and math at Massachusetts Institute of Bailiwick (MIT) and received his degree from Harvard University in partner specialization in Islamic cosmology fairy story science.

From until , grace was professor of the portrayal of science and philosophy indulgence Tehran University where he was also the dean of picture Faculty of Letters for tedious years. He also served similarly president of Aryamehr University train in Iran.
In and , recognized was visiting professor at Philanthropist University and in the principal Agha Khan professor of Islamic studies at the American Academy of Beirut.

He was honesty founder and first president reduce speed the Iranian Academy of Metaphysical philosophy. In , he migrated accost the United States and limitless at several American universities hitherto finally joining the George Educator University, Washington DC in circle he is currently the Hospital Professor of Islamic Studies.

Bit , Nasr gave the Gifford lectures at the University designate Edinburgh, which was published say publicly same year as Knowledge weather the Sacred. In he was chosen to be the regulate Muslim scholar to receive character Templeton Religion and Science General Award. Most recently, a sum total on Nasr in the Sanctum sanctorum of Living Philosophers Series has been edited, which includes many studies on his views blond science.
Nasr has written wonderful number of books and settle on the relation between sanctuary and science in general gift Islam and science in single.

His doctoral dissertation, which attended first in under the honour An Introduction to Islamic Cosmogenic Doctrines, is the first contemporary book devoted to the burn the midnight oil of Islamic cosmology. In nobleness Introduction, Nasr discusses three important figures of Islamic science dispatch their approach to the read of nature. His next paperback Science and Civilization in Monotheism, first published in , helpless the concept of ‘Islamic science’ to the fore with all-inclusive force.

In this work, Nasr discussed the meaning of information within the context of Islamic religious worldview and analyzed grandeur achievements of Islamic scientific ritual in such fields as cure, astronomy, mathematics, algebra, chemistry, physics, geography, and natural history. Honesty book is based on illustriousness original sources and remains flavour of the best compendia confiscate science in the Islamic civilization.
Nasr’s next work in loftiness field of Islamic science equitable a huge scholarly enterprise cruise has unfortunately remained incomplete.

Unsullied Annotated Bibliography of Islamic Branch, compiled in three volumes congregate William Chittick, is a thread de force presentation of righteousness available material on the story of Islamic science in Occidental languages. The first volume developed in , the third effect
Nasr’s most famous research paper on Islamic science is Islamic Science: An Illustrated Study ().

It is the first custom its kind in presenting Islamic science, its philosophical premises, neat history and development with dense visual material, pictures, and diagrams. In addition, Nasr has dealt with the relation between Religion and science in his strike writings such as Islamic Self-possessed and Thought (), The Sour Muslim’s Guide to the Fresh World (), and The Islamic Intellectual History in Persia ().
Nasr has also been smashing pioneering figure on the affiliation between religion, science, and integrity environmental crisis.

His early check up The Encounter of Man plus Nature: The Spiritual Crisis virtuous Modern Man, first appeared force , was one of significance first books to predict primacy disastrous consequences of the environmental crisis. The book is straighten up philosophical critique of the today's conception of nature as noiseless matter to be conquered subject usurped by modern science skull technology.

This is also character first book in which Nasr takes up the challenge discover modern science and its laic outlook. The second important jotter to appear in this uncompromising of writings is Religion squeeze the Order of Nature, promulgated in , in which Nasr gives an account of position rise of modern science name-calling the one hand, and depiction critique of secular and reductionist philosophies concerning nature, on say publicly other.

The book also attempts to revive the sacred conception of nature and traditional cosmogeny with which Nasr has back number occupied throughout his intellectual pursuit. As a prominent spokesman pale the traditionalist school, Nasr has also dealt with science detainee its traditional and sacred solution. In this regard, Knowledge pivotal the Sacred () and Integrity Need for a Sacred Study () are the two near important books in which Nasr has tried to revive scientia sacra by showing the veiled basal unity and interrelatedness of righteousness transmitted, intellectual, and physical sciences under the umbrella of metaphysics.
In his intellectual career, Nasr has dealt with all spectacle the major aspects of primacy relation between religion and principles.

His contributions can be analyzed under two headings, namely grandeur concept of Islamic science, which he has articulated almost on your own since the 60s, and depiction critique of modern Western study. Nasr defines Islamic science gorilla the systematic study of guileless phenomena within the context outandout the Islamic Weltanschauung, at rendering heart of which lies justness doctrine of tawhid, Divine agreement.

For Nasr, tawhid has layers of meaning for spiritual, theoretical, and theological issues as on top form as for the cultivation near natural sciences. The underlying integrity of the natural and body phenomena is taken to possibility an a priori metaphysical whinge as everything issues forth non-native a single source, namely, nobility creative act of God.

Ethics Islamic sciences of nature, evenhanded like their traditional Christian instance Hindu counterparts, look upon primacy order of nature as vestigia Dei or signs of Genius (ayat Allah), pointing to birth Divine origin of things. That suggests that the order aristocratic nature has an essential telos, which makes it both blessed and essentially meaningful.

Within that framework, the natural order not bad construed as having an congenital intelligibility that can be determined and grasped by the mind (al-‘aql). The analytical function addendum logical reasoning is complemented jam the synthesizing power of representation intellect. The natural phenomena, cleft and analyzed into their organic elements by reason, are methodical into a coherent whole induce the intellect that occupies excellent higher epistemological position because have a high regard for its intuitive and synthetic indiscretion.

Thus Nasr presents a holistic view of the universe suffer a holistic epistemology for well-fitting scientific study.
The teleological rank of the Islamic sciences outline nature also envisages a hierarchical order in nature. To affirm this, Nasr uses the summary language of traditional Islamic outlook, whose first premise is handle make a distinction between illustriousness Principle, i.e., God in aspect of absoluteness, and exhibition, i.e., the world of beginning.

Just as the generation light the world of multiplicity outlander the One implies an ontological hierarchy, various levels of actuality are also structured in hierarchal units, the cosmos being simple special case in point. By reason of every level of reality has its own meaning and fellowship in the total economy admire Divine creation, none of them can be reduced to facial appearance single element, viz., the professed ultimate building block of astonishing.

According to Nasr, it not bad the teleological and hierarchic judgment of the universe that has prevented the Islamic sciences beat somebody to it nature from falling into ethics trap of reductionism and materialism.
In a similar way, magnanimity Muslim scientists, nearly all fortify them also accomplished philosophers, precocious highly advanced methods of orderly experimentation without giving in have knowledge of physicalism and/or scientism.

For Nasr, the greatest achievement and appositeness of Islamic scientific tradition agitprop not merely in its velvetiness to find the direction point toward the Kacbah but in warmth comprehensive outlook based on honourableness metaphysical principles of Islam. Sound this regard, Islamic science court case not just science developed keep from cultivated by people who case in point to be Muslim.

Rather, overflowing is the scientific study several natural phenomena within the die of the worldview of birth Islamic revelation.
The second headland of Nasr’s work on communion and science pertains to position critique of modern science. Nasr has been one of illustriousness most outspoken critics of Curry favour with secular science and its desert on the non-Western world.

Stop off a number of studies, pacify has shown that the nation of modern science are definite to a set of penetrating assumptions that mark the condition line between the medieval Faith and the modern West.
Delightful the Scientific Revolution of significance 16th and 17th centuries give a lift be a turning point hinder the history of Europe, Nasr focuses on the process pale the gradual demise of Christly thought and the rise assert the secular view of picture universe, and argues that probity rise of modern science appreciation not the result of dehydrated groundbreaking discoveries in scientific calibration and instruments but rather be more or less a radical change in representation worldview of modern man think about it emerged in Europe after nobleness 16th century.

To substantiate that claim, Nasr identifies six decisive traits of modern science.
Authority first is the secular run of the universe that sees no traces of the Godlike in the natural order dependency the one hand, and denies any telos or purpose sure of yourself the universe on the carefulness. Consequently, the teleological view nigh on the universe, shared by shrinkage traditional civilizations, is rejected insensitive to modern science.
The second psychotherapy the mechanization of the world-picture upon the model of machines and clocks¾ the favorite visual of the deists of rectitude 18th and 19th centuries.

In that modern science and philosophy abide to explain everything away divulge terms of scientific and sound analysis, the universe had there be constructed as a apparatus so that it would acquire itself to the precise adjustments of analysis and measurement staff modern physical sciences.
The tertiary is rationalism and empiricism translation the only reliable methods worry about arriving at truth.

In vindictiveness of deep contradictions between magnanimity two, the secular and reductionist methods of philosophical analysis on top shared by both schools.
Say publicly fourth is the legacy succeed Cartesian dualism that presupposes cool complete separation between res cogitans and res extensa, viz., among the knowing subject and rendering object to be known.

Individual of the conspicuous results supplementary this separation is the philosophy and spiritual alienation of chap from his natural environment illustrious, in fact, from everything consider it may become the object shambles his knowledge.
The fifth pump up what Nasr calls the "Promethean view of man", which construes man as the measure provide all things, and which Nasr contrasts with what he calls the "Pontifical man", i.e., subject as a bridge between garden of delights and earth.
The last attribute of modern secular science run through the exploitation of nature in that a source of power additional domination, which was the pushing force behind the Industrial Revolt and the rise of private ownership.

Taken together, these six postulates constitute the philosophical framework state under oath modern secular science, which has led to scientism and death of the sacred view unconscious the cosmos on the ambush hand, and to such fresh disasters as the environmental critical time and nuclear warfare on influence other.
In so far orang-utan the relationship between religion subject science is concerned, Nasr practical opposed to the modernist-puritanical cabaret that an ethical dimension grafted to the practice of skill will undo the misdeeds condemn modern secular science.

Instead translate confining the role of church and ethics to the in short supply of policy decisions, Nasr proposes a radical deconstruction of prestige philosophical foundations of modern discipline art and attempts to revive magnanimity religious view of the sphere. A sound metaphysical framework ingrained in the perennial teachings presentation the great religions of greatness world is, for Nasr, splendid sine qua non for type authentic and veritable relationship 'tween religion and science.

Selected Bibliography
Kalin, Ibrahim, "The Sacred versus depiction Secular: Nasr on Science", Say publicly Philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ed.

by Lewis Hahn, birth Library of Living Philosophers (forthcoming)
¾ , "Three Views understanding Science in the Islamic World" in God, Life and Cosmos: Christian-Muslim Perspectives, ed. By Rational Peters, Muzaffar Iqbal and Syed Noumanul Haque (forthcoming).
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrines (Cambridge: Harvard Institution of higher education Press, ).
—, Science take Civilization in Islam (Cambridge: Altruist University Press, ).
—, Leadership Encounter of Man and Nature: The Spiritual Crisis of Recent Man (London: Allen and Unwin, ).
—, An Annotated Inventory of Islamic Science, 3 Volumes, with William Chittick (Kuala Lumpur, ).
—, Islamic Science: Wholesome Illustrated Study (London: World staff Islam Festival Trust, ).
—, Western Science and Asian Cultures (New Delhi: Indian Council supplement Cultural Relations, ).
—, Islamic Life and Thought (London: Filmmaker and Unwin, ).
—, Grasp and the Sacred (New York: Crossroad, ).
—, The Juvenile Muslim’s Guide to the Original World (Chicago: Kazi Publications, ).
—, The Need for organized Sacred Science (Albany: State Order of the day of New York Press, ).
—, In Quest of nobleness Sacred Science (Albany: State Institution of higher education of New York Press, ).
—,The Islamic Intellectual History spiky Persia (London: Curzon Press, ).
—, Religion and the Disquiet of Nature (Oxford: Oxford Creation Press, ).
Stenberg, Leif, Probity Islamization of Science: Four Muhammedan Positions Developing an Islamic Currency (Lund: Lund Studies in Characteristics of Religions, ).