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Rationality and autonomy from the enlightenment and islamic perspectives
Citation
Tan, C. (2014). Rationality and autonomy from the enlightenment and islamic perspectives. Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education, 35(3), 327- 339. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2014.980119
Author
Tan, Charlene
Abstract
Rationality and autonomy are foundational concepts in Anglophone or 'Western' countries that originated from the Enlightenment period. When compared with 'Western' ideologies, non-Western belief systems such as Islam do not appear, at first glance, to place as much emphasis on the value and attainment of rationality and autonomy. This may lead some people to conclude that Islam necessarily marginalises or even suppresses its believers' development of rationality and autonomy. This paper compares the concepts of rationality and autonomy in both the Enlightenment period and Islam. It is argued that there exist Islamic traditions that promote the inculcation of 'normal rationality' and 'normal autonomy' within a convictional community from which beliefs develop. However, the extent to which Muslims are encouraged to cultivate and exercise their rationality and autonomy would depend, among other reasons, on the specific interpretations of rationality and autonomy privileged by the Islamic tradition they belong to.
Date Issued
2014
DOI
10.1080/13617672.2014.980119
Description
This is the final draft, after peer-review, of a manuscript published in Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. The published version is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2014.980119