History of Rational Thought in the Arab-Muslim World

Teacher(s)

de Callatay Godefroid;

Language

French

Prerequisites

None

Main themes

Among other topics, this course deals with :

• the classification of sciences and the organization of knowledge;
• the reflection on the limits of human knowledge;
• the universality of the sciences of reason in Islam;
• the conquest of knowledge and scientific innovations;
• the translation movement of ancient works;
• the Arab-Muslim civilisation as a relay of knowledge between the East and the West;
• the place of the so-called occult sciences.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	understand the issues of the history of Islamic thinking;
2	have a basic knowledge of the scientific approach to modern research;
3	use the main tools in the field (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, bibliographies, monographs and articles, online resources);
4	conduct personal research on specific topics in the field and write a limited essay on an aspect of the history of the Arab-Muslim world.

Content

An introduction to the history of rational thought in Islam.
Among other topics, this course deals with: the classification of sciences and the organization of knowledge, the reflection on the limits of human knowledge, the universality of the sciences of reason in Islam, the conquest of knowledge and scientific innovations, the translation movement of ancient works, the Arab-Muslim civilisation as a relay of knowledge.

Teaching methods

The course is lectured, but involves the active participation of students. The course also involves the writing of an essay on an aspect of the history of rational thinking in Islam.

Evaluation methods

The final grade is awarded on the basis of an oral examination on the course material, assessment of the written work and active participation in the course.

Bibliography

N/A

Faculty or entity

EHAC