An approach to civilization and Islamic civilization from Seyyed Hossein Nasr's view

Subject Areas : The Journal of Islamic History and Civilisation

سید علیرضا عالمی ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2008-02-05 Accepted : 2008-03-12 Published : 2008-02-20

Keywords: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, civilization, Islamic civilization, Islam, Qur'an, Prophet,

Abstract :

Nasr's standpoint on civilization implies at a new paradigm in defining of it. He maintains that the constitution of all civilization and also their demarcation is based upon the inner culture of every civilization and its dependent nature.So He categorizes all civilizations based on their cultural content into traditional and modern. According to this view, every thing in traditional civilization is based on the relation with the sacred or the spiritual, while human being is secular, independent and autonomous in modern one. Considering this attitude, Islamic civilization is a traditional civilization; according to him, Islam brings forth Islamic civilization; so its fundamentals- prophet, k and faithful Muslim- are constituents of Islamic civilization. Being faithful to traditionalism leads him to regard the university of Islamic civilization and neglect its particulars, however, his opinion hasn't come to neglect and lose his interests to inner transformations of Islamic civilization. His traditionalist view results in some useful, comparative studies in his works which shall help us knowing our actual world and comprehending Islamic civilization more accurate and complete.