...TABLE OF CONTENTS No Pages Acknowledgement Introduction Question 1: Greek Logic and Metaphysis in Critical Thinking 1.1 Background of Socrates 1.2 Contribution of Socrates 1.3 Background of Plato 1.4 Contribution of Plato Question 2: Islamic Contribution in Critical Thinking 2.1 Background of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) 2.2 Contribution of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) 2.3 Background of Al-Kindi 2.4 Contribution of Al-Kindi Conclusion References Acknowledgement First of all, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to those who helped and provided me the possibility to complete my assignment. First and foremost, a special thanks to my Critical Thinking’s lecturer, Mr. Krishnan for the valuable guidance and advices regarding my coursework. I would like to thank him for his willingness to teach me the parts that I don’t understand and showing me some good examples that are related to my coursework. Secondly, I would like to thank my parents for giving me support in terms of words of encouragement and financial assistance to complete my assignment. Without their encouragement, I won’t be able to finish my assignment in time. Furthermore, I would like to thank the authority of Legenda Education Group for providing me with a good environment and facilities to complete this project. Also, I would like to thank librarian which help me to find books that related to the topic of my project. Last but not least, special thanks to my...
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...The Kalam Cosmological Argument The temporal, kalam cosmological argument, dates back to medieval Muslim philosophers such as al-Kindi and al-Ghazali. It has recently been restored to popularity by William Lane Craig. Like all cosmological arguments, the kalam cosmological argument is an argument from the existence of the world or universe to the existence of God. The existence of the universe, such arguments claim, stands in need of explanation. The only adequate explanation, the arguments suggest, is that it was created by God. What distinguishes the kalam cosmological argument from other forms of cosmological argument is that it rests on the idea that the universe has a beginning in time. Modal forms of the cosmological argument are consistent with the universe having an infinite past. According to the kalam cosmological argument, however, it is precisely because the universe is thought to have a beginning in time that its existence is thought to stand in need of explanation. This argument has the following logical structure: The Kalam Cosmological Argument (1) Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence. (2) The universe has a beginning of its existence. Therefore: (3) The universe has a cause of its existence. (4) If the universe has a cause of its existence then that cause is God. Therefore: (5) God exists. The first premise of the argument is the claim that everything that begins to exist has a cause of its existence. In order...
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...| Islamic philosophyOLIVER LEAMAN | | | | Islamic philosophyIslamic philosophy may be defined in a number of different ways, but the perspective taken here is that it represents the style of philosophy produced within the framework of Islamic culture. This description does not suggest that it is necessarily concerned with religious issues, nor even that it is exclusively produced by Muslims (see Islam, concept of philosophy in).1 The early years of Islamic philosophyIslamic philosophy is intimately connected with Greek philosophy, although this is a relationship which can be exaggerated. Theoretical questions were raised right from the beginning of Islam, questions which could to a certain extent be answered by reference to Islamic texts such as the Qur’an, the practices of the community and the traditional sayings of the Prophet and his Companions. On this initial basis a whole range of what came to be known as the Islamic sciences came to be produced, and these consisted largely of religious law, the Arabic language and forms of theology which represented differing understandings of Islam.The early conquests of the Muslims brought them into close contact with centres of civilization heavily influenced by Christianity and Judaism, and also by Greek culture. Many rulers wished to understand and use the Greek forms of knowledge, some practical and some theoretical, and a large translation project started which saw official support for the assimilation of Greek culture (see Greek...
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...Great inventions 01 Coffee: The story goes that an Arab named Khalid was tending his goats in the Kaffa region of southern Ethiopia, when he noticed his animals became livelier after eating a certain berry. He boiled the berries to make the first coffee. Certainly the first record of the drink is of beans exported from Ethiopia to Yemen where Sufis drank it to stay awake all night to pray on special occasions. By the late 15th century it had arrived in Mecca and Turkey from where it made its way to Venice in 1645. It was brought to England in 1650 by a Turk named Pasqua Rosee who opened the first coffee house in Lombard Street in the City of London. The Arabic qahwa became the Turkish kahve then the Italian caffé and then English coffee. 02 Pin-Hole Camera: The ancient Greeks thought our eyes emitted rays, like a laser, which enabled us to see. The first person to realise that light enters the eye, rather than leaving it, was the 10th-century Muslim mathematician, astronomer and physicist Ibn al-Haitham. He invented the first pin-hole camera after noticing the way light came through a hole in window shutters. The smaller the hole, the better the picture, he worked out, and set up the first Camera Obscura (from the Arab word qamara for a dark or private room). He is also credited with being the first man to shift physics from a philosophical activity to an experimental one. 03 Chess: A form of chess was played in ancient India but the game was developed into the form...
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...Chan, 1 Hiokei Chan David Benatar Better Never to Have Been: the Harm of Coming into Existence Clarendon Press, Oxford, 2006, 237pp., $30.00, ISBN 978-0-19-954926-9 Reviewed by Hiokei Chan, Michigan State University Benatar's main argument is that “coming into existence is always bad for those who come into existence” (2006:4), thus there is moral duty not to procreate; and a fetus in its earlier stage should be aborted. It results that the existence of one person should counted as overpopulation, and it is good for human to extinct. In the introduction, Benatar first claims that his argument can be applied to all sentient beings, but his focus will be on humans. In the part subtitled “Who is so lucky”, Freud's claim that there is no good or best for the non-existent people elicits the 'non-identity' problem, which will later be solved. By speaking about the 'never-existent' which refers to nothing, Benatar is using this expression as a convenient term to mean those possible but non-actual beings. In Chapter 2, Benatar firstly claims that the expression 'a life worth living' should be specified as either 'a life worth starting' or 'a life worth continuing'. Then he tries to explain why coming into existence is always a harm by the asymmetry of pleasure and pain: (1) the presence of pain is bad, (2) the presence of pleasure is good, (3) the absence of pain is good, (4) the absence of pleasure is not bad unless it implies a deprivation. The first two points are evident, but...
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...they are.” Who was Al Beruni? Abū al-Rayḥān Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Berūnī was born on September 4, 973 A.D., in Khwarezm, in present day Uzbekistan. Khwarezm was an important centre of learning and he received education from a prince of the Khwarezm-shah dynasty. He was a historian, astronomer, mathematician, geographer, ethnographer, and anthropologist. (History of India as told by it’s historians) Little is known about his childhood, except for the fact that he did not know his own father. Al-beruni’s life was set in an unusually tumultuous political period. He served six different princes, all engaged in warfare. Despite living in this bellicose time, he managed to become an accomplished polymath and is heralded as a pioneer in Islamic historical writing. It is interesting to note that the political flux of this period, helped him receive patronage from multiple dynasties like the Khwarezm-shahs, the Samanids, and the Ghaznavids. This enabled him to interact with other great minds like Avicenna, an Iranian philosopher-scientist, where? In 1017, Mahmud of Ghazni invaded Rayy, where Al Biruni was residing at the time . Al-Biruni, was taken as a captive to Ghazni. Despite being an unwilling guest in Ghazni, Biruni continued penning down works of science, mathematics, astronomy and more, and was soon appointed as the court astrologer. He accompanied Mahmud on his invasions into northwest India, and after it was conquered, he ended up living there for around forty years...
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..."How do you explain the relatively rapid rise and expansion of Islam from its Arabian craddle to territories thus far dominated by powerful states and cultures throughout Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe? What do you think contributed to the relatively rapid success of Islamic expansion in these parts of the world from the middle of the seventh century on? For more than fourteen centuries ago, Islam has started by prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula, and since that time, Islam has faced so many difficulties either with spreading the religion or fighting against the enemies who were against the religion, but because of the unity of the Muslim community during that time, Muslim people were able to avoid defeat at the hands of the enemy. After the death of prophet Muhammad in 632AD, Islam spread widely around the Arabian Peninsula during the caliphs’ leadership and during the Islamic empires. The expansion of Islam would not have succeeded with its prophet, Muhammed, who was able win some support for his spiritual and political status within Arabia in the early seventh century. There were so many conflicts between Quraysh and Muslims, and in 630, the Quraysh broke an earlier treaty that had been established. After the broke of the treaty, prophet Muhammed march upon Mecca with 10.000 men and take the city without any fighting. In less than one century after the death of prophet Muhammed, Muslims ruled more of the earth than the Roman Empire had at its peak....
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...Early Arab Conquests – 9/24/2012 When Prophet Muhammad died, he never chose a successor (Later caused division into Sunni and Shia). Ansar – Medinans who had early on converted to Islam. Without consulting, they started choosing leaders on their own. Tribes wouldn't have been agreed on a leader of Medina, because they were "converts" and weren't the "originals" from Mecca. How could the Medinans have ruled all these tribes, some still nomadic, when they had just converted to Islam and didn't have this 'authority'. They came 'late to the game'. Umar – one of Prophet Muhammad's closes companions. He decided it's politically smart to bring other clans into it. They decided NOT to choose from the Hashemite clan (Prophet Muhammad's clan), however within the Quraysh tribe. He decided that it was smart to get someone that isn't in the feud – not a Hashemite and not an Umayyad – they chose Abu Bakr. He was from a smaller clan. Abu Bakr was modest and was a very good diplomat. He knew how to take the Quraysh tribe and to talk to other tribes and bring them together. He was the first convert outside of Prophet Muhammad's family. He was also the father of Prophet Muhammad's most beloved wife, Aisha. He had been designated in the last days of Prophet Muhammad, to conduct the worship during his times of illness. Imam Ali – Some believed he should have been the leader of the Ummah after Prophet Muhammad's death, because he was from the Prophet's bloodline. These people became to be...
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... Bank Islam, established in 1983, is Malaysia’s maiden Shariah-based institution. Since its inception, it has emerged as the symbol of Islamic banking in Malaysia and its vision to be “A Global Leader in Islamic Banking” illustrates the Bank’s status as the flag bearer of the country’s financial services industry (“the industry”). Bank Islam has been growing from strength to strength as evidenced by its financial performance and paid-up capital, which in turn, was instrumental in making the growth of its assets. Throughout the year, Bank Islam has been embarking on a number of expansion programmes with its involvement in, among others, notable transaction in Sukuk and Corporate Mandates. Living up to its pioneering spirit, the Bank has continued to provide innovative and enhanced products and services which has resulted in a growing number of customers seeing Islamic banking as a true alternative to conventional banking. This growing list of clienteles in addition to truly ground breaking and quality banking solutions have been recognised by the global industry which is reflected by the Bank's position as one of the top banks in the country. From the traditional financing, savings and investment types of products exclusively for individual customers during the early years of establishment, the range of Bank Islam’s Shariah-based financial products, services and business solutions has significantly expanded to cater to...
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...Kayla Marshall 2012-09-REL-275-OL009: INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM Semester 1 Enrolled 2012 Islam as a religion started with the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The word Islam stands for “submission” seen as the total surrender of self to God or Allah. A Muslim is the believer of Islam and means “one who submits to God”. Submission of God is established by following moral standards of everyday life. Muslims trust that God conveyed the Quran to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel and regarded the Quran as the fundamental source of Islam. Muslims do not see Muhammad as the founder of Islam but as the reestablishment of monotheistic faith of Jesus and other prophets. Muhammads revelations held great meaning, “The message Muhammad received in these revelation was a warning that only through devotion to the one and only God and through righteous observance of the revealed law could people attain salvation in their afterlife”, and the revelations accentuated the importance of the devotion to the one and only God. Believers are made to perceive the Five Pillars of Islam, Islamic law has made a custom of rulings that take part in all aspects of society. Muhammad greatest victories could be seen as the conquest of Mecca in 630 C.E. By “Muhammads death in 1632, his community had expanded- more by religious persuasion and political alliance than by force- to include all of western Arabia, and he had made fruitful contact with some groups in the northern Hijaz, Nejd, eastern Arabia...
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...1 HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION PART II: 1258 C.E. TO PRESENT SPRING 2012 (21:510:288) M.W. 4:00-5:20 (MW6) CONKLIN HALL 446 Dr. Nükhet Varlık varlik@andromeda.rutgers.edu Office Hours: M. W. 5:20-5:50 pm and by appointment Office: Conklin Hall, 310 TEXTBOOK: o Arthur Goldschmidt Jr., A concise history of the Middle East, Westview Press, 2002. o Marvin E Gettleman & Stuart Schaar, The Middle East and Islamic world reader, New York, 2003. o Additional primary source readings will be posted on Blackboard. o Also see: Internet Islamic History Sourcebook (compiled by Paul Halsall) COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is a survey of the history of the Islamic civilization. In this course, we will study social, economic, and cultural aspects of the history of the Middle and Near East region, from the dramatic arrival of Mongol armies in the mid-thirteenth century up to the present era. The treatment of the subject will be roughly chronological, though social and economic life, culture, and arts will be discussed thoroughly throughout the course. In addition to lectures, the course will heavily draw upon discussion sessions, which will give students a hands-on approach to history. In these sessions, we will discuss in detail various historical problems presented in the text, lectures, and audio-visual materials. 1 2 COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: - name and identify individuals, events, themes, and issues of major...
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...Funding and Rise to Power The Taliban started as a student-led movement; consequently, money and resources were invested from outside sources to provide them with means to accomplish their goal. The initial funding of the Taliban during the early 1980’s was not only monetary. The United States, Saudi Arabia, and elements within the then Pakistani government funneled millions of dollars, weapons, equipment, and even foreign fighters into Afghanistan in a bid to oust Soviet occupiers” . This provided a way for the Taliban to become a functioning organization in Afghanistan, with enough training and resources to seize control of the country’s government and society. Currently, their funding is compiled through different sources of income....
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... Islam was born in the Hijaz in the 7th century and expanded to the rest of the Middle East where its key institutions were established. Simultaneously, it went through a rapid wave of expansion and eventually reached the African continent though North Africa and was progressively embraced in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, we cannot say there was such a thing as a unique process of expansion of Islam because an African identity was inexistent. Indeed, the continent and especially our area of focus, consisting of North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, was composed of different regions defined by their ethnicity and their ancestry. Furthermore, the physical separation created by the Sahara desert also played a major role into accentuating the disparities. We will explore here, how the introduction of Islam in both regions differed significantly and how in the secondary phase of “rooting” of the faith, this key difference in the first contacts the religion had in these two regions led to the establishment of two distinct Islams. Finally, we will demonstrate that when we look beyond the complexity of both processes, they ultimately share many similarities. The main difference in the process of arrival of Islam in North Africa and Sub-Saharan African is displayed by the rapidity of expansion. Whereas by 720, North Africa was controlled by the Muslims, the adoption of Islam below the Sahara appeared to be more slowly paced and gradual.There exists such a disparity because of...
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...more permanent living and allowing for the formation of civilizations. As the Islamic empire expanded as far as Spain and parts of India and China, the Arabic language becomes the international language that allowed for exchange of ideas...
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...the intellectual center for science, education, philosophy and medicine not found anywhere else in the world. “The Medieval Islamic world…offered vastly more freedom than any of its predecessors, its contemporaries, and most of its successors,” said Bernard Lewis, a historian of the Middle East. (Akoyl) Islamic scholars and teachers lit the flame that would spread to Europe and ignite the fire which brought forth the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment. For centuries, Islam was at the forefront of human civilization and achievements. The Golden Age of Islam was extraordinary, ground breaking and original, but like many things throughout time, it came to an end. Contemporary Islam no longer...
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