Nature: Its Moral and Metaphysical Dimensions (original) (raw)
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Toward a New Doctrine of Man: The Relationship of Man and Nature
Zygon�, 1967
The inscribed and outspread verses of Allah both point towards the relationship of man and nature. Man is brought about to serve as emissary of mercy to the worlds. This article expresses the relationship between man and nature in adherence to qawliyah-quraniyah and kawniyahverses. The study of qawliyah-quraniyah verses reveals harmony between their messages and natural phenomena. With a thematic exegetical method, agreement between both is found in depicting the relationship of man to nature, which is not between subject and object but of a mutualistic symbiosis. Partial comprehension of holy texts has produced partial understanding as well, partly stemming from the factor of past tahlili and ijmali methodologies of commentary that concentrate on text but do not offer thorough explanations on any issue. Consequently, it is not uncommon that nature finds itself at the receiving end of man's tyrannical behavior. A thematic text-reading method with an interdisciplinary approach is thus considered an apt choice to provide a comprehensive account of man and nature's relationship.
Islamic and Modern-day Understanding of Nature: An Overview by Islamic Philosophers
This study is based on nature with religious, philosophical, and modern understanding. The religious and philosophical understanding is regarding Islamic teachings. The article aims to focus on how nature continuously generates human thoughts, feelings, and experiences, especially with respect to religion. It focuses on how Islam invites its followers to think about nature rationally and logically, ponder upon it, and get more and more knowledge about its Creator. The article is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the Islamic overview of nature, ways of understanding nature and the existence of God, and the intervention of God in nature. The second part includes the Islamic Philosophical view of nature, its various meanings within the philosophical domain, its ontological status, and the discussions and arguments among Islamic Philosophers-Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, and Ibn Rushd, regarding cosmology. Lastly, the third part comprises the modern and contemporary views of nature and different ways of understanding it in modern-day Physics, and the natural environment.
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Philosophy and Progress , 2022
It is difficult to identify nature with an exact meaning. Depending on circumstances and perspectives the term “nature” has various meanings ranging from spiritual participatory to mechanistic understanding. Having these complexities and ambiguous connotations the current research tries to investigate into some conceptual understanding of nature regarding traditional ideas and modern scientific views. There will also be an endeavor to see nature from a short historical survey. The paper aims to examine these conceptions in the light of environmental sustainability: which understanding of nature seems better to reform the dominating attitudes of humans toward the natural environment? Being critical of conventional and secular meanings of nature, the current paper proceeds to show how an understanding of a different kind can allow humans to behave with their surroundings. In so doing, the present study wants to shed more lights on natural environment, and to add more knowledge to the present discussions of ecological equilibrium.
Man and Nature: An Islamic Perspective
Peshawar Islamicus
The topic on man and nature has always been discussed over the centuries and has earned the attention of many scholars of diverse fields of specializations. As an appreciation to the great contribution of nature to human survival, some have equated it to God. Since the two are synonymous to them, so they worship nature alongside God. Others thought nature to be an obstacle to human life and hence needs to be conquered and prevailed upon. In the light of these two extreme positions, this paper intends to investigate the relationship between man and nature from the Islamic perspective. Apart from that, this paper would like to find out as to why the Muslim community is not paying due attention to conservation and preservation of nature at a time when there is a serious call made by others to stop the ongoing environmental degradation that is happening all over the world. It is hoped that an investigation of this nature would bring to light as to what should be the ideal relationship of man with nature from the Islamic perspective. Keywords: Man, Nature, Islamic Perspective, the Covenant, forbidden approach towards nature
The Ethical Dimension of Human Attitude towards Nature: A Muslim Perspective
In the second edition of The Ethical Dimension of Human Attitude towards Nature: A Muslim Perspective, Özdemir critically assesses historical perspectives on nature from Western philosophy and science, examines relevant ethical theories, and finally discusses contemporary metaphysical bases for environmental ethics. The book offers a short, but engaging study in Islam and ecology, contributing most substantially to environmental discourse by relating work from Said Nursi.
Nature - Book and Teacher for ever body, 2018
The scientific exploration of the surrounding nature has revealed numerous notable results in past years (complex structures specific to the living world, extraordinary ways of communication among plants, social structures in the organization of the insects, intelligent behaviour among species of fish and mammals). The revelations of the wonderful composition of the living world are certainly unprecedented in the history of scientific knowledge. At the same time, however, the last decades of civilization have also brought about the greatest challenges to the environment. Pollution, species extinction, global warming, waste, unrealistic exploitation of bio-resources, mineral reserves depletion, mutations in terrestrial ecosystems represent some of the greatest challenges of the civilized world. All these show that greater scientific knowledge does not necessarily lead to a wiser life. But this idea is quite common in philosophical and spiritual reflection. In the study, we shall mention some recent data from behavioural sciences and some ideas regarding the thinking of Christian authors that highlight a connection between nature and man's inner (dis)order. The proposed interpretative approach aims to provide a real opportunity for the use of knowledge data in the context of personal and community life. In fact, the encounter between current scientific data on the surrounding nature, behavioural sciences and the experience of Christian spirituality could be edifying in rediscovering an adequate relationship between man and nature.
Nature as Experienced-A Theological Phenomenology
2010
The first stage of becoming human beings as a species on Earth is a direct reference to the existence, the concrete forms of the surrounding reality, which become objects to this practice and also of consciousness. Once with the reporting human nature, the thought begins his own religious experience. At this level, man proposes between him and the world of nature another world, mediator, through which to act on its possibilities of existence. Religious thought in consciousness becames a reflection of reality and a projection of thought into reality. As a medium, it is an invention by not being in the objective existence, but with excellent exercise as mediator in ontological form, in that he always took refuge in a concrete object.
A Brief Discussion on Human/Nature Relationship
No one would reject the fact that human has been always completely depending on nature for all his needs. However in modern days, when industry has spread its influence on human life, human gradually became alienated from nature. This alienation was felt so threatening by scholars that they have started an attempt to revive human's connection to nature. To cooperate with these attempts, this paper is going to have a precise look at human/nature relationship. It tries to elucidates the history of this relationship, shed light on the reason of human's alienation with nature, and discusses the attempts for a reconciliation between human and nature. The paper concludes its discussion by having a subtle and deeper look at human's relationship with nature in order to illuminate the positive psychological aspect of human/nature relationship hence to make human aware about the importance and benefits of an intimate connection with nature.
Human Ecology: nature as archetypal deity
Revista Ártemis, 2018
The term nature, in a broad sense, refers to the phenomena of the physical world and life in general. Complex are their definitions, involving qualities of essentiality, origin, spontaneity, and everything that was not directly manipulated or produced by human action, including the universe itself. Taking into account that the sciences in their entirety have developed through their observation, the objective of this study is to promote the worldview of nature as a foundation for human self-knowledge, since according to the conception of human ecology, humans are conceived as an indivisible part of their environment. Faced with the current ecological constraints, the proposal is justified, above all, by the need to reconnect man with nature in a superficial and deep sense. For that, we used the theoretical revision method (especially conceptual contributions of Arne Naess and Carl Gustav Jung) and Aristotelian deductive thinking to reach the proposed reflections. The results suggest man as being indivisible from nature, reigned by forces, tendencies, instincts, and cycles similar to those of the natural environment. From natural contemplation it is believed possible to formulate deep understandings of human nature, be they biological, psychological or spiritual.
Naturaleza y Sociedad. Desafíos Medioambientales,, 2023
Abstract. Muhammad Iqbal (1873-1938), widely recognized as the preeminent Muslim philosopher of the twentieth century, possesses an illustrious legacy of profound philosophical and poetic works. His extensive body of work reflects a deep engagement with the pressing issues of his time and a sincere dialogue with the contemporary world. In his critique of dehumanizing tendencies and the forgetfulness of the divine within the modern world, Muhammad Iqbal accords nature a preeminent role. In the Qur’an and the Sunna, nature is depicted as a manifestation of Allah’s signs and symbols. This notion is exemplified in the Prophet Muhammad’s statement that “the whole earth is a Mosque,” emphasizing the sacredness inherent in the Earth. Iqbal builds upon this concept, redefining the role of nature and restoring its significance in both the physical and metaphysical realms for believers. For Iqbal, nature is not merely material and finite but also a manifestation of divine attributes, serving as a space of remembrance (tadhkira) and worship (‘ibāda) beyond its material appearance. In his writings, he explored nature’s role in human development, offering an opportunity to re-know (ma‘rifa) reality (ḥaqīqa), to advance in existence, and to live in the absolute. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of nature and Iqbal’s contributions to Ecosophy —in the panikkarian sense of the term— and to Ecotheology through an analysis of primary sources. Resumen. Considerado el filósofo musulmán más influyente del siglo XX, Muhammad Iqbal (1873-1938) es garante de una imponente producción filosófica y poética desde la cual dialogó profundamente con el mundo contemporáneo y sus problemas. En su crítica a la deshumanización y al olvido de lo divino por parte del mundo moderno, la naturaleza tiene un papel preeminente. Desde el Corán y la Sunna, la naturaleza se percibía como manifestación de los signos y los símbolos de Allah, tanto que el profeta Muhammad dijo que “Sea toda la tierra mezquita”, en referencia a la sacralidad de esta. A partir de este concepto, y en numerosos puntos de su obra, Iqbal resitúa el rol de la naturaleza y la devuelve a un plano de preeminencia física y metafísica para el creyente. La naturaleza no es solo materialidad y finitud, sino reflejo de los atributos divinos. Así mismo, tiene una función en el desarrollo antropológico de la persona, y sirve como espacio de recuerdo (tadhkira) y de ‘ibāda (adoración), más allá de su apariencia material. Una oportunidad para re-conocer (ma‘rifa) la realidad (ḥaqīqa), avanzar en la existencia y vivir en el absoluto. El objetivo de este artículo es, con base en el análisis de fuentes primarias, explorar el rol de la naturaleza y la posibilidad de identificar los aportes de Muhammad Iqbal para la ecosofía —en el sentido panikkariano del término— y para la ecoteología.