- Wilmington, Delaware, United States
M. Ashraf Adeel
Kutztown University, Philosophy, Faculty Member
This book examines Quine's thesis of underdetermination in the context of both of language and science. Its impact on Davidson's theory of radical interpretation is also evaluated. The book is a sustained defense of underdetermination and... more
This book examines Quine's thesis of underdetermination in the context of both of language and science. Its impact on Davidson's theory of radical interpretation is also evaluated. The book is a sustained defense of underdetermination and possibility of alternative conceptual schemes or world views both in science and in general.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter begins by introducing some Qur’ānic distinctions relevant to the value problem. It is noted that value of knowledge for the Qur’ān is rooted in its practical value. Relevance of the Qur’ānic view of taqwā as reflective and... more
This chapter begins by introducing some Qur’ānic distinctions relevant to the value problem. It is noted that value of knowledge for the Qur’ān is rooted in its practical value. Relevance of the Qur’ānic view of taqwā as reflective and motivational epistemic conscience for a solution to the value problem is noted. The bulk of the chapter deals with discussions of the value problem between contemporary virtue epistemologists. It is argued that Zagzebsky correctly criticizes the machine-product model of knowledge assumed by process reliabilism. Brogaard’s criticism of Zagzebsky’s position regarding its Moorean conception of value is evaluated and it is argued that the Zagzebsky motive-action model for knowledge effectively addresses the value problem rather than a simple shift to a different (Korsgaardian) model of value as suggested by Brogaard. Pritchard’s criticism of Zagzebsky and other robust virtue epistemologists is evaluated. It is argued that knowledge, while valuable as shown by Zagzebsky’s model, is correctly claimed by Pritchard to be not finally valuable. Kvanvig’s and Pritchard’s positions are combined to underscore why understanding is finally valuable.
Research Interests:
This article looks at some of the salient analyses of the concept of wasaṭīyah (moderation) in the ancient Greek and the Islamic traditions and uses them to develop a contemporary view of the matter. Greek ethics played a huge role in... more
This article looks at some of the salient analyses of the concept of wasaṭīyah (moderation) in the ancient Greek and the Islamic traditions and uses them to develop a contemporary view of the matter. Greek ethics played a huge role in shaping the ethical views of Muslim philosophers and theologians, and thus the article starts with an overview of the revival of contemporary western virtue ethics, in many ways an extension of Platonic-Aristotelian ethics, and then looks briefly at the place of moderation or temperance in Platonic-Aristotelian ethics. This sets the stage for an exposition of the position taken by Ibn Miskawayh and al-Ghazali, which is then used as a backdrop for suggesting a revival of the Qur’an’s virtue ethics. After outlining a basis for its virtue ethics, the Qur’anic view of the virtue of wasaṭīyah is discussed briefly and its position on this virtue’s nature in terms of the individual and the community is presented.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article looks at some of the salient analyses of the concept of wasaṭīyah (moderation) in the ancient Greek and the Islamic traditions and uses them to develop a contemporary view of the matter. Greek ethics played a huge role in... more
This article looks at some of the salient analyses of the concept of wasaṭīyah (moderation) in the ancient Greek and the Islamic traditions and uses them to develop a contemporary view of the matter. Greek ethics played a huge role in shaping the ethical views of Muslim philosophers and theologians, and thus the article starts with an overview of the revival of contemporary western virtue ethics, in many ways an extension of Platonic-Aristotelian ethics, and then looks briefly at the place of moderation or temperance in Platonic-Aristotelian ethics. This sets the stage for an exposition of the position taken by Ibn Miskawayh and al-Ghazali, which is then used as a backdrop for suggesting a revival of the Qur’an’s virtue ethics. After outlining a basis for its virtue ethics, the Qur’anic view of the virtue of wasaṭīyah is discussed briefly and its position on this virtue’s nature in terms of the individual and the community is presented.
Research Interests:
Virtue epistemologists such as Jonathan Kvanvig and Duncan Pritchard have argued that it is not propositional knowledge but understanding, particularly holistic understanding that has final value or value for its own sake as an epistemic... more
Virtue epistemologists such as Jonathan Kvanvig and Duncan Pritchard have argued that it is not propositional knowledge but understanding, particularly holistic understanding that has final value or value for its own sake as an epistemic state. Karl Jaspers argues that the overall aim of science and philosophy is to give us a comprehensive understanding or "lucid self-knowledge" of our existence in the world. There seems to be a philosophic overlap between Jaspers and some shades of contemporary epistemology. From both of these points of view, education aims at both the imparting of knowledge and inculcation of understanding among students. In other words virtue epistemology, when applied to education, would aim at developing the epistemic character of students and inquirers. Such a virtuetheoretic approach employed to education, particularly to university education, implies the need for a revival of a broad humanistic view of the university rather than a merely utilitaria...
In the General Psychopathology Jaspers famously draws a distinction between the understandable and explainable. Meaningful connections between psychic events, he argues, can only be understood empathetically and cannot be explained... more
In the General Psychopathology Jaspers famously draws a distinction between the understandable and explainable. Meaningful connections between psychic events, he argues, can only be understood empathetically and cannot be explained causally. The idea behind this distinction, according to some interpreters at least, seems to be that psychic events do not fall under any general causal rules whereas ordinary events do fall under such rules. Also Jaspers distinguishes empathetic understanding of the connection between two psychic events from a mere interpretation of it, which may turn out to be false. Hence, understanding seems to be able to give us the truth about the connection and is factive as well as self-evident in nature. Contemporary epistemologists, such as Linda Zagzebsky, Duncan Pritchard, and Jonathan Kvanvig, for example, distinguish three varieties: propositional, objectual or holistic, and atomistic understanding. They do not agree on factivity and transparency of underst...
Research Interests:
This chapter carries out an analysis of the Qur’ānic verses that pertain to the concept of taqwā in order to understand the Qur’ānic conception of virtue. It is argued that taqwā appears to be a comprehensive reflective and motivational... more
This chapter carries out an analysis of the Qur’ānic verses that pertain to the concept of taqwā in order to understand the Qur’ānic conception of virtue. It is argued that taqwā appears to be a comprehensive reflective and motivational conscience comparable to similar concepts in Kant and Butler. However, taqwā covers both the moral and epistemic spheres of human life and is constitutive of virtue in general. The chapter discusses the ways taqwā, as a stable acquired disposition for virtue built upon our natural capacity to distinguish right from wrong, is related to specific intellectual virtues that flow from it. Taqwā as the general disposition for virtue functions as a pivot for all specific epistemic and moral virtues. After identifying the basic features of taqwā, the chapter examines additional verses of the Qur’ān to highlight some additional intellectual virtues. The chapter closes by noting the concept of virtue and an overall list of intellectual virtues.
This book is a close examination of Quine's thesis of underdetermination and its relation to other Quinian positions like empiricism, holism, indeterminacy of translation, and naturalism about truth. The book aims at elaborating... more
This book is a close examination of Quine's thesis of underdetermination and its relation to other Quinian positions like empiricism, holism, indeterminacy of translation, and naturalism about truth. The book aims at elaborating and defending the thesis of underdetermination about global theories or systems of the world. A natural fallout of such a thesis is pluralism of worldviews. If underdetermination is a plausible position to hold, then there is no escaping the view that alternative scientific worldviews or conceptual schemes can exist. Donald Davidson, however, has rejected the very idea of a conceptual scheme on the basis of his view of language. Although he is in some ways sympathetic to Quine's views on underdetermination, he still argues for reconciliation of alternative worldviews through systematic reconstrual of predicates. It is argued in this book that such a reconstrual of predicates does not sit well with Quine's thesis of underdetermination, and Davidson's own argument against alternative conceptual schemes through his criterion of languagehood also fails. As a result, it appears that Quine's underdetermination thesis paves the way for the existence of alternative conceptual schemes. A criterion for individuation of such conceptual schemes is derived from partial failure of translation between languages embodying alternative world views.
Research Interests:
This chapter aims at an analysis of the Qur’ānic concept of ignorance in the light contemporary virtue epistemology with its focus on intellectual virtues. In Sect. 2.1 below I give a brief set of introductory remarks about the... more
This chapter aims at an analysis of the Qur’ānic concept of ignorance in the light contemporary virtue epistemology with its focus on intellectual virtues. In Sect. 2.1 below I give a brief set of introductory remarks about the contemporary emergence of virtue epistemology and the directions in which it is evolving. Sosa’s seminal work for bridging the divide between foundationalism and coherentism through the concept of intellectual virtue is noted along with early work done by Montmarquet and Code on intellectual responsibility and conscientiousness. Sosa’s reliabilist and Zagzebsky’s responsibilist positions are highlighted. This overview sets the stage for casting a careful look in Sect. 2.2 at all the verses of the Qur’ān that talk about remediable blameworthy ignorance in humans with the purpose of deriving from them what the Qur’ān takes to be central epistemic virtues. The analysis brings out various intellectual virtues that mostly seem to be forms of epistemic conscientiou...
This article is focused on some conditions in today’s world of globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction between these societies and the... more
This article is focused on some conditions in today’s world of globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction between these societies and the contemporary Western powers that represent modernity and postmodernity on the global stage. The rise of fundamentalism, a tendency toward returning to the roots and stringently insisting upon some pure and literal interpretation of them, in almost all the religions of the world is a manifestation of this fright. The central concern of this article is to suggest that fundamentalism is neither the only nor the most reasonable response for Muslim societies in the face of contemporary modernity. Muslims need to adopt an independent and critical attitude toward modernity and reshape their societies in the light of the ethics of the Qur’an, keeping in view the historical link between Islam and science in as much as Islamic culture paved the way for emergence of mod...
Research Interests:
This paper argues that Islamic ethics is a retaliatory ethics only atthe socio-political level. In personal morality, it resembles theethics of Socrates and Jesus of not returning wrong for wrong. Acomparison is also undertaken with... more
This paper argues that Islamic ethics is a retaliatory ethics only atthe socio-political level. In personal morality, it resembles theethics of Socrates and Jesus of not returning wrong for wrong. Acomparison is also undertaken with Confucian ethics.
It is argued that religions seem to insist, paradoxically, on both exclusivity and diversity to inspire passionate commitment on the one hand and to allow for genuine choice of religion on the other. The argument is developed with special... more
It is argued that religions seem to insist, paradoxically, on both exclusivity and diversity to inspire passionate commitment on the one hand and to allow for genuine choice of religion on the other. The argument is developed with special reference to Islam, with hints of similar strands of thought in Judaism and Christianity. The paradoxicality of this position of religions is similar to Kierkegaard’s interpretation of faith, as exhibited byAbraham in his sacrifice. Interpreting religions in this way provides us with a better context for understanding the exclusivism/pluralism debate.
This article is focused on some conditions in today’s world of globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction between these societies and the... more
This article is focused on some conditions in today’s world of globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction between these societies and the contemporary Western powers that represent modernity and postmodernity on the global stage. The rise of fundamentalism, a tendency toward returning to the roots and stringently insisting upon some pure and literal interpretation of them, in almost all the religions of the world is a manifestation of this fright. The central concern of this article is to suggest that fundamentalism is neither the only nor the most reasonable response for Muslim societies in the face of contemporary modernity. Muslims need to adopt an independent and critical attitude toward modernity and reshape their societies in the light of the ethics of the Qur’an, keeping in view the historical link between Islam and science in as much as Islamic culture paved the way for emergence of mod...
Research Interests:
This essay briefly evaluates the ongoing controversy between LIU Qingping and GUO Qiyong (and their followers) about the “moral heart” of Confucianism in order to draw a comparison with Islamic ethics for mutual illumination of the two... more
This essay briefly evaluates the ongoing controversy between LIU Qingping and GUO
Qiyong (and their followers) about the “moral heart” of Confucianism in order to draw a
comparison with Islamic ethics for mutual illumination of the two traditions. Liu argues that Confucianism is basically consanguinism and, as such, it lands into an
“embarrassing paradox” in its moral thinking when dealing with conflicts between filial
piety and brotherly love on the one hand and public good on the other. It also lands in a
“profound paradox” when it comes to extending family love to humanity in general because
such extension is impossible without a universalistic human love (Liu 2007). Guo contests
this view and insists that the root of morality in Confucianism is not family love but our
“moral heart/mind,” endowed by “Heaven” with universal human love. Filial piety is only
the “root of practice” of this universal human love and not the root of all morality.
Therefore, Confucianism has all the resources for a universalistic ethics and it is “the
natural order” of the practice of human love to start with parental and brotherly love. It is noted here that the concept of moral heart/mind is present in the Quran as well. Comparisons are drawn between Confucian and Islamic ethics in regard to the role of filial piety in morality/universalistic ethics.
Qiyong (and their followers) about the “moral heart” of Confucianism in order to draw a
comparison with Islamic ethics for mutual illumination of the two traditions. Liu argues that Confucianism is basically consanguinism and, as such, it lands into an
“embarrassing paradox” in its moral thinking when dealing with conflicts between filial
piety and brotherly love on the one hand and public good on the other. It also lands in a
“profound paradox” when it comes to extending family love to humanity in general because
such extension is impossible without a universalistic human love (Liu 2007). Guo contests
this view and insists that the root of morality in Confucianism is not family love but our
“moral heart/mind,” endowed by “Heaven” with universal human love. Filial piety is only
the “root of practice” of this universal human love and not the root of all morality.
Therefore, Confucianism has all the resources for a universalistic ethics and it is “the
natural order” of the practice of human love to start with parental and brotherly love. It is noted here that the concept of moral heart/mind is present in the Quran as well. Comparisons are drawn between Confucian and Islamic ethics in regard to the role of filial piety in morality/universalistic ethics.
Research Interests:
Abstract: In the General Psychopathology Jaspers famously draws a distinction between the understandable and explainable. Meaningful connections between psychic events, he argues, can only be understood empathetically and cannot be... more
Abstract: In the General Psychopathology Jaspers famously draws a distinction between the understandable and
explainable. Meaningful connections between psychic events, he argues, can only be understood empathetically and
cannot be explained causally. The idea behind this distinction, according to some interpreters at least, seems to be that
psychic events do not fall under any general causal rules whereas ordinary events do fall under such rules. Also Jaspers
distinguishes empathetic understanding of the connection between two psychic events from a mere interpretation of
it, which may turn out to be false. Hence, understanding seems to be able to give us the truth about the connection and
is factive as well as self-evident in nature. Contemporary epistemologists, such as Linda Zagzebsky, Duncan Pritchard,
and Jonathan Kvanvig, for example, distinguish three varieties: propositional, objectual or holistic, and atomistic
understanding. They do not agree on factivity and transparency of understanding. What then is the difference between
their views and that of Jaspers? This essay compares recent epistemological views of understanding with those of Jaspers
and critiques his claims about empathetic understanding as being both factive and self-evident or transparent; to show
that empathetic understanding of connections between psychic events needs a public criterion for its individuation.
Keywords: Jaspers, Karl; epistemology; empathetic understanding; objectual understanding; holistic understanding;
understanding as factive; understanding as transparent.
explainable. Meaningful connections between psychic events, he argues, can only be understood empathetically and
cannot be explained causally. The idea behind this distinction, according to some interpreters at least, seems to be that
psychic events do not fall under any general causal rules whereas ordinary events do fall under such rules. Also Jaspers
distinguishes empathetic understanding of the connection between two psychic events from a mere interpretation of
it, which may turn out to be false. Hence, understanding seems to be able to give us the truth about the connection and
is factive as well as self-evident in nature. Contemporary epistemologists, such as Linda Zagzebsky, Duncan Pritchard,
and Jonathan Kvanvig, for example, distinguish three varieties: propositional, objectual or holistic, and atomistic
understanding. They do not agree on factivity and transparency of understanding. What then is the difference between
their views and that of Jaspers? This essay compares recent epistemological views of understanding with those of Jaspers
and critiques his claims about empathetic understanding as being both factive and self-evident or transparent; to show
that empathetic understanding of connections between psychic events needs a public criterion for its individuation.
Keywords: Jaspers, Karl; epistemology; empathetic understanding; objectual understanding; holistic understanding;
understanding as factive; understanding as transparent.
Research Interests:
This article is focused on some conditions in today’s world of globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction between these societies and the... more
This article is focused on some conditions in today’s world of
globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence
or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction
between these societies and the contemporary Western
powers that represent modernity and postmodernity on the
global stage. The rise of fundamentalism, a tendency toward
returning to the roots and stringently insisting upon some pure
and literal interpretation of them, in almost all the religions of
the world is a manifestation of this fright. The central concern
of this article is to suggest that fundamentalism is neither the
only nor the most reasonable response for Muslim societies in
the face of contemporary modernity. Muslims need to adopt an
independent and critical attitude toward modernity and reshape
their societies in the light of the ethics of the Qur’an, keeping in
view the historical link between Islam and science in as much as
Islamic culture paved the way for emergence of modern science
during European Renaissance. The necessity of a pluralistic or
contextualized modernization of Muslim societies is discussed
along with the need for the removal of cultural duplicity in the
role of the West in relation to Muslim societies. All this leads to
an overall proposal for modernization which is given towards
the end.
globalized media, which are producing either an uncritical acquiescence
or fright in Muslim societies as a result of the interaction
between these societies and the contemporary Western
powers that represent modernity and postmodernity on the
global stage. The rise of fundamentalism, a tendency toward
returning to the roots and stringently insisting upon some pure
and literal interpretation of them, in almost all the religions of
the world is a manifestation of this fright. The central concern
of this article is to suggest that fundamentalism is neither the
only nor the most reasonable response for Muslim societies in
the face of contemporary modernity. Muslims need to adopt an
independent and critical attitude toward modernity and reshape
their societies in the light of the ethics of the Qur’an, keeping in
view the historical link between Islam and science in as much as
Islamic culture paved the way for emergence of modern science
during European Renaissance. The necessity of a pluralistic or
contextualized modernization of Muslim societies is discussed
along with the need for the removal of cultural duplicity in the
role of the West in relation to Muslim societies. All this leads to
an overall proposal for modernization which is given towards
the end.
Research Interests:
This article looks into some of the salient analyses of the concept of moderation in the ancient Greek and the Islamic traditions and uses them to develop a contemporary view of the matter. An outline of the Quranic Virtue ethics is... more
This article looks into some of the salient analyses of the concept of moderation in the ancient Greek and the Islamic traditions and uses them to develop a contemporary view of the matter. An outline of the Quranic Virtue ethics is suggested in the light of contemporary revival of virtue ethics---an extension of Platonic-Aristotelian ethics.
Research Interests:
Scott Soames argues that interpreted in the light of Quine’s holistic verificationism, Quine’s thesis of underdetermination leads to a contradiction. It is contended here that if we pay proper attention to the evolution of Quine’s... more
Scott Soames argues that interpreted in the light of Quine’s holistic verificationism,
Quine’s thesis of underdetermination leads to a contradiction. It is contended here that
if we pay proper attention to the evolution of Quine’s thinking on the subject, particularly
his criterion of theory individuation, Quine’s thesis of underdetermination
escapes Soames’s charge of paradoxicality.
Quine’s thesis of underdetermination leads to a contradiction. It is contended here that
if we pay proper attention to the evolution of Quine’s thinking on the subject, particularly
his criterion of theory individuation, Quine’s thesis of underdetermination
escapes Soames’s charge of paradoxicality.
This booklet is a very brief introduction to informal fallacies that can occur in our reasoning both in ordinary life and in scholarly work. It is important for us as thinking beings to be alerted to these pitfalls of reasoning. While... more
This booklet is a very brief introduction to informal fallacies that can occur in our reasoning both in ordinary life and in scholarly work. It is important for us as thinking beings to be alerted to these pitfalls of reasoning. While there is no dearth of introductory texts that discuss fallacies, separate and simple treatments of fallacies are few and far between. This little booklet has been written with a view to making a very simple and stand-alone presentation of important informal fallacies. The idea is to provide beginning readers with an easily accessible introduction, which they can read completely in one or two sittings without having to purchase or find a whole book of Logic or Critical Thinking. The hope is that the readers of these pages will end up trying to avoid these fallacies more assiduously in their life and work.
Research Interests:
This book is a close examination of Quine's thesis of underdetermination and its relation to other Quinian positions like empiricism, holism, indeterminacy of translation, and naturalism about truth. The book aims at elaborating and... more
This book is a close examination of Quine's thesis of underdetermination and its relation to other Quinian positions like empiricism, holism, indeterminacy of translation, and naturalism about truth. The book aims at elaborating and defending the thesis of underdetermination about global theories or systems of the world. A natural fallout of such a thesis is pluralism of worldviews. If underdetermination is a plausible position to hold, then there is no escaping the view that alternative scientific worldviews or conceptual schemes can exist. Donald Davidson, however, has rejected the very idea of a conceptual scheme on the basis of his view of language. Although he is in some ways sympathetic to Quine's views on underdetermination, he still argues for reconciliation of alternative worldviews through systematic reconstrual of predicates. It is argued in this book that such a reconstrual of predicates does not sit well with Quine's thesis of underdetermination, and Davidson's own argument against alternative conceptual schemes through his criterion of languagehood also fails. As a result, it appears that Quine's underdetermination thesis paves the way for the existence of alternative conceptual schemes. A criterion for individuation of such conceptual schemes is derived from partial failure of translation between languages embodying alternative world views.