Chapter 9 Humanism
A Tradition Common to Both Islam and Europe
In: From the Greeks to the Arabs and BeyondPurchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
The growing interest of the Arabs in Arabic translations from Greek since the 2nd/8th century has been interpreted as a sign of humanism in Islam. This is comparable to the humanists in Europe who, since the 14th century AD, considered Greek and Latin literature as a base of moral and spiritual education. We will have to address the question of whether a similar ideal of education has been developed in the Islamic cultural sphere in harmony with religion. The perceived tension between the humanists of antiquity and Christianity has a parallel in the tensions between Islamic religiosity and a rational Islamic world view. However, there are past and present approaches to develop an educational ideal that is comparable to the European concept of a moral shaping of the individual. The Qurʾān and Islamic tradition do not impede the free development of personality and creative responsibility, if their historicity is taken into account and if they are not elevated to an unreflected norm.