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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences : Philosophy

Undergraduate Course: Islamic Philosophy (PHIL10197)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course will provide a systematic introduction to key issues and debates in Islamic philosophy by focusing on the medieval period and showing its relevance for contemporary philosophical discussions. It will explore the mechanisms of the critical appropriation of the Western (Greek) philosophical heritage in the Islamic intellectual tradition and the relationship between philosophy and religion in Islam.
Course description For a long time, Islamic philosophy has been either completely neglected or misinterpreted in the ¿Western¿ academia. Influenced by their orientalist prejudices, many modern scholars rejected the Islamic intellectual tradition as inherently anti-philosophical, religiously fundamentalist and spiritualist. This course provides a different picture of Islamic philosophy. It offers systematic and
analytical introduction to key issues and debates in Islamic philosophy and shows their relevance for contemporary philosophical discussions. Starting with an overview of the socio-historical background as well as of the most important figures and schools, thiscourse covers central topics of Islamic philosophy, such as:

- nature of morality and value
- free will and determinism (incl. the problem of evil)
- nature and sources of knowledge
- scepticism against natural causation
- self-awareness, personal identity, and the mind-body problem
- proofs for God's existence

Primary sources will be read in English translation.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their PT and the course organiser before enrolling.
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2023/24, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  32
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Midterm Essay (40%) 1500 words
Final Essay (55%) 2500 words
Participation (5%)
Feedback Guidance will be given in advance of each assignment. This may be in the form of an in-class discussion, a handout, or discussion of a component of the assessed work. Instructor feedback on essay outline and peer feedback provides further formative opportunities ahead of final essay.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the central issues of Islamic philosophy
  2. Analyse materials independently and critically engage with other interpretations
  3. Provide systematic exposition and argumentation for their views
  4. Demonstrate understanding of a non-Western intellectual tradition
Reading List
1. Adamson, Peter (ed.). Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2006.
2. Adamson, Peter. Philosophy in the Islamic World. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2016.
3. Griffel, Frank. Al-azs Philosophical Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2009.
4. Gutas, Dimitri. Greek Thought, Arabic Culture. London: Routledge 1998.
5. El-Rouayheb, Khaled and Schmidtke, Sabine (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2017.
6. Shihadeh, Ayman. The Teleological Ethics of Fakhr al-Dn al-Rz. Leiden-Boston: Brill 2006.
7. Wolfson, Henry. The Philosophy of the Kalm. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press 1976.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills The Islamic Philosophy course will inspire students to engage with the communities and world around them (outlook and engagement). It will make students effective and proactive individuals, skilled in influencing positively and adapting to new situations with sensitivity and integrity. Students will also learn to identify and creatively tackle problems (research and inquiry).
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Fedor Benevich
Tel:
Email: Fedor.Benevich@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Catriona Keay
Tel:
Email: ckeay4@ed.ac.uk
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