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Course Description
This course will study philosophic questions and issues raised from the ancient period to
modern and contemporary times although not in a chronological order. The course will
discuss both the history and problems of philosophy. The course is divided into six modules.
Module I will deal with the Philosophic Method, Module II with Ancient Philosophy,
Module III with the three Major Paradigms of Muslim Philosophy, Module IV with
Metaphysics, Module V with Epistemology and Module VI with Applied Philosophy.
Goals
This course does not envision philosophy as an 'ivory tower' conceptual discourse. The
objective is to trace the application of theoretical concepts to the life of an individual in
society.
The course exposes the students to a close examination of mostly primary and some
secondary texts in order to develop their understanding of the original spirit and thought of
Philosophy.
The purpose of the course is to develop the students analytical and critical acumen to
evaluate issues and problems. The emphasis is, therefore, on the methodology of philosophy
rather than on the specific content of the works.
1. The First module deals with the Philosophic Method. The method aims to clarify
and elucidate concepts. The module will examine the definition and clarification of
concepts through the Socratic method of sustained argument and the Aristotelian
methods of deductive and inductive analysis. Thus the purpose of the module is to
acquaint students with the characteristic methodology of Philosophy.
2. The Second Module deals with Ancient thinkers, to trace the origins of the
philosophic quest for reality, truth, knowledge & wisdom.
3. The Third Module deals with the three Major Paradigms of Muslim Philosophy,
specifically The Asharite, Rational, and Sufi traditions. The module will focus on
Philosophical contributions of Muslim luminaries in general and on philosophers
from the sub-continent in particular.
4. The Fourth module is Metaphysics. Metaphysics deals with the responses of various
philosophic traditions to the question: What is Real? This section attempts to divide
reality into basic categories and in doing so, clarify and improve our thinking about
it.
6. The Sixth Module will deal with Applied Philosophy. This module aims to discuss
some practical applications and relevance of philosophy in the 20th and 21st century.
The focus will be on the different branches of contemporary philosophies, namely
Political and Social philosophy, Philosophy of Education, Philosophy of Science,
Philosophy of Art and History etc.
Pre-Requisites
None.
Twenty-Eight 70-minute lectures, Ten 60 minute lectures, four term tests, one paper
(Dialogue) and one final exam. The Term Tests will be held during four periods (not
counted in the course outline).
Grading
Term Test 1
Module II: Ancient Philosophy
Term Test 2
Module III: The Three Major Paradigms of Muslim Philosophy: Classical & South
Asian Texts
13. Introduction:
Doctrinal Systems pp. 41-64 (De Boer)
The History of Philosophy in Islam
14. Traditionalists:
A Vindication of Kalam. pp. 119-134 (McCarthy)
Al-Ashaari
16. The Decisive Treatise, Determining pp. 44-62 (Averroes) On the Harmony
the Nature of the Conception between of Religion and Philosophy,
Religion and Philosophy. Translated by George F. Hourani.
Ibn Rushd
Paper (Dialogue)
Module IV: Metaphysics
What is Real?
Term Test 3
Module V: Epistemology
What is Knowledge?
Term Test 4
Module VI: Applied Philosophy
Final Exam
Bibiliography:
2. Al-Hujwiri, Ali B. The Kashif Al-Mahjub: The Oldest Persian Treatise on Sufiism,
London: Lowe and Brydone Ltd., 1959.
4. Baloch, N.A. The Muslim Luminaries, Islamabad: National Hijra Council, 1988.
5. Bergh, Simon Van Den. Averroes Tahafut Al-Tahafut: The Incoherence of the
Incoherence, Oxford: University Press, 1954.
7. Bowie, G. Lee & Michaels, Meredith W. & Solomo, Robert C. Twenty Questions:
An Introduction to Philosphy, 5th Edition, Wadsworth 2004
8. Cahn, Steven M. Philosophy for the 21st Century, New York: OUP, 2003
9. Capaldi, Nicholas & Navia, Luis E. Journeys Through Philosophy, New York,
Prometheus Books, 1977.
11. Earle, William James. Introduction to Philosophy. Singapore: McGraw Hill, Inc.,
1992.
13. Hall, David L. and Ames, Roger T. Thinking Through Confucius, New York:
SUNY, 1987
14. Hall, Harrison and Bowie, Norman E. The Tradition of Philosophy, California:
Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1986.
17. Iqbal, Allama M. The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Lahore: Iqbal
Academy Pakistan, 1989 (Edited by M Saeed Sheikh).
18. Khaldun , Ibn. The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History, London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul, 1958 (Translated from Arabic by FranzRosenthal).
19. Khan, Sir Syed Ahmed. Life of Muhammad, Lahore: Premier Book House, 1968.
21. McKoen, Richard The Basic Works of Aristotle, New York: Random House, 1941
22. Park, Joe (editor). Selected Readings In The Philosophy of Education, New York:
The Macmillan Company, 1968
23. Pojman, Louis P. Philosophy: The Quest for Truth, 3rd Edition, Wadsworth, 1996
Readings from Classical Contemporary Sources, NY: The Free Press, 1965.
25. Stumpf, Samuel Enoch. Philosophy: History And Problems. Singapore: McGraw-
Hill Book Company, 1989.