Alternative Sociology Probing into the Sociological Thought of Allama M. T. Jafari By: Seyed Javad Miri

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:23:48 +0000

Alternative Sociology Probing into the Sociological Thought of Allama M. T. Jafari by Dr Seyed Javad Miri, has been published by the London Academy of Iranian Studies (LAIS) in London.

ISBN: 978-0-9552298-9-3

Seyed Javad Miri rightly affirms Allama Jafari’s rejection of Feuerbach’s thesis, that “theology is anthropology.” Feuerbach’s projection theory has not only deeply influenced historical materialism. It is accepted in most forms of sociology, on the Right and on the Left. It cannot be denied, that projection takes place in religion, like in any other domain of human life, e.g. between lovers. However, all projections need a screen. That is also true for religion. Paul Tillich argued correctly, that from the fact that anthropological projection takes place in religion it cannot be concluded, that there is no more place for theology any longer. What Miri calls the humanistic and naturalistic approaches to the study of society could be combined in the effort to achieve alternative Future III – a free society, in which not only the antagonism between the sacred and the profane, and the discrepancy between the personal autonomy and the universal solidarity, but also the contradiction between nature and man could be reconciled. Those sociological approaches can, of course, not be value-free in Weber’s sense. To be sure, already the intentional or unintentional interference of the sociologist into his or her own object of study renders a value – free sociology impossible. In any case, the humanistic and naturalistic sociological approaches could not be satisfied with the mere positivistic study of what is the case, but would also have to point out its potential and what ought to be in a positive or negative way, and initiate the consequent, necessary practical changes. Miri’s new book, inspired by the great work of his teacher Allama Jafari, is doing precisely that in the most excellent way, as he is building a strong bridge between the great Iranian culture and the West.

Rudolf J. Siebert

Professor of Religion and Society

Department of Comparative Religion

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

To download the book Click here.

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Two Lectures by PROF. SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR IN LONDON – 8th and 9th of March 2012

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:43:17 +0000

Two Lectures by PROF. SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR

London Academy of Iranian Studies, The International Peace Studies Centre and The AhlulBayt Islamic Societies (Muslim Student Council)

cordially invites you to

“Islam and The Question of Peace”

Date: Thursday, 8th March 2012 @ 6.30pm

Venue : Imperial College, Huxley LT311, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ

“Islam and The West: Yesterday, Today Tomorrow”

Date:Friday, 9th March 2012 @ 6.00pm

Venue : UCL, Cruciform LT1, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT

with internationally-renowned

PROF. SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR

Refreshments will be served

Email info@iranianstudies.org to reserve your place. LIMITED SPACES.

—————————————————————

ISLAM AND THE QUESTION OF PEACE

Event Synopsis

by S. H. Nasr

Many today show concern for the question of peace in relation to Islam and the Islamic world. But few delve into the deeper dimensions of the meaning of peaceor ask why it is that Christians call Christ the Prince of Peace while fighting so many wars or why Islam, that is derived from the Arabic word for peace (salām), is involved in so many battles both within itself and with invading Western armies. Peace is an inner attitude and we must be at peace within ourselves in order to create a society at peace. To be at peace with oneself must in turn be based on being at peace with Heaven and involves also being at peace with not only the human world, but also the world of nature. How can a civilization in which there are many who are in rebellion against Heaven and where the very life style of most people is based on war against the natural order be at peace with itself and others? In such conditions to speak of peace is to speak of an unrealizable dream.

In Islam the idea of complete surrender to God (taslīm which is also related to the word for peace in Arabic) is central and the spiritual path to universal peace(ṣulḥ-i kull in Sufism) has always been available to those who seek real peace. Jihād, which is usually mistranslated as holy war, itself means exertion to create both withinand without equilibrium and harmony which alone lead to peace. But Islam is faced today with challenges and tensions that make the establishment of equilibrium andpeace very difficult. These challenges and tensions include cultural and intellectual ones resulting from the invasion of the Islamic world by Western ideas and norms as well as actual military invasions; challenges of extreme responses to Western domination by some Muslims a few of which carry out horrendously violent acts that are against the teachings of Islamic Law (Sharī‘ah); challenges of various local nationalisms that threaten the unity of the Islamic world; challenges of confronting those Western interests in the Islamic world which are against Islamic interests and many other challenges and tensions. All of these challenges require exceptional effort to try to reach and establish peace on all levels from the individual souls of men and women to society at large.

On the more external level the establishment of peace between the Islamic world and the West requires before everything mutual acceptance and respect. Both sides have to learn to accept the other rather than vilifying it and to realize that on the highest level the other is our self.

ISLAM AND THE WEST – YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW

Event Synopsis

by S. H. Nasr

The yesterday of the historical relations between Islam and the West may be said to cover the period from the rise of Islam to the Second World War. For the sakeof analysis one can divide those many centuries into three eras: from the 7^th to the 14^th centuries during which Islamic civilization was more powerful than the West andinfluenced Europe deeply in fields ranging from philosophy and even theology to art and literature to technology. This period was followed by the era from the 14^th tothe 17^th century when Europe became more powerful especially at sea and began to encroach upon and colonize the edges of the Islamic world while powerful Muslim empires still persisted. The third epoch stretching from the 17^th to the 20^th centuries was witness to the weakening of the Islamic world and greater Western colonization ofit, a colonization that was not only military and political, but also intellectual, educational and cultural including artistic. But this period was also witness to Muslim resistance to the West much of it religious but also some nationalistic as traditional Islamic political structures weakened or crumbled and nationalism in its Western sense spread to much of the Islamic world.

The today that is considered here may be said to begin with the years around and after the Second World War when Muslim countries gained their nominal political independence. But despite this so-called independence, the invasion by the West of the Islamic world in domains of culture, thought, art, life style and even political philosophy continued and even increased. This situation helped to bring about powerful Islamic movements in different forms, new Western military invasions ofseveral Islamic countries and the more recent Arab or Islamic Awakening which the West now seeks to guide and direct in its own favor. This period is also marked by thespread of Islam into the West in a manner that is historically unprecedented.

As for tomorrow, there is no doubt that Islam as a religion will remain very strong in various Islamic societies and Islamic civilization will seek to revive itself amidst many intellectual and political crises in its midst at a time when the West itself is in a major crisis that is not only economic and social but most of all spiritual. In any case the destinies of Islam and the West have been intertwined historically and are bound to continue to be so in the future, as far as one can see.

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Alternative Sociology Probing into the Sociological Thought of Allama M. T. Jafari By: Seyed Javad Miri

Two Lectures by PROF. SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR IN LONDON – 8th and 9th of March 2012

Transcendent Philosophy Journal

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	Volume 11. December 2010
	Volume 10 . December 2009