Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Appealing Falsehood; An in-depth Islamic Perspective on Confucianism (Part 6)
A major shift in encountering with philosophy
Before the emergence of Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali (may Allah bless him), the Islamic world’s encounter with philosophy was mainly defensive. Although Islamic theologians were trying to protect religious beliefs and principles from the influence of philosophical ideas, they rarely launched a direct and fundamental attack on the roots of philosophy. At that time, philosophy, especially in the field of theology, was often seen as an attack on Islamic principles, and scholars of theology appeared solely in the position of defending beliefs, without questioning the intellectual foundations and logical foundations of philosophy.
This stance changed with the emergence of Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah bless him). He not only studied philosophy carefully and deeply, but also challenged its intellectual foundations and revealed that a large part of its foundations were based on weak, contradictory, and sometimes purely conjectural arguments. Ghazali first presented an impartial and clear picture of philosophy by writing “Maqasid al-Falasifah”, then he dealt the greatest intellectual blow to its body by writing “Tahafat al-Falasifah”. This action was a turning point in the history of Islamic thought; because for the first time, philosophy was not only accused, but also condemned to a scientific and comprehensive criticism.
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Maqasid al-Falasifah: Impartial representation before the confrontation
In order to confront philosophy in a principled manner, Imam Ghazali (may Allah bless him) first decided to introduce philosophy “as it is”. He explained the principles of philosophy carefully and impartially instead of hastily rejecting it in “Maqasid al-Falasifah”. This approach had two main goals:
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Proving the scientific coverage of philosophy: Ghazali showed that his criticism of philosophy was not made from a position of ignorance or prejudice, but after deep and careful studies.
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Refuting the Philosophers’ Pretext: Philosophers claimed that theologians did not understand philosophy correctly and therefore rejected it. The writing of this book made this claim fundamentally invalid.
In this work, Al-Ghazali explained important philosophical debates in the fields of logic, theology, and physics, and in the introduction he clarified that mathematical sciences in themselves are not a place of dispute; rather, the main field of disagreement is theology and metaphysics, where philosophy directly conflicts with Islamic teachings.
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“Tahafat al-Falasifah”: A Strong Blow to the Body of Philosophy
After completing “Maqasid al-Falasifah”, Imam Al-Ghazali (may Allah bless him) created his masterpiece “Tahafat al-Falasifah” (The Contradictions of the Philosophers); a work that can rightly be considered a turning point in the history of Islamic thought. This book criticized philosophy from within and on its own principles for the first time. The prominent features of this work are:
– Abandoning the defensive stance of theology and entering a position of direct attack;
– Raising twenty key issues in the philosophy of theology and metaphysics and proving the contradictions of philosophers;
– Showing the reliance of many philosophical theories on speculation rather than definitive proof.
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Explicit and fearless tone
“Tahafat al-Falasifa” became famous for the assertive and sometimes sarcastic tone of al-Ghazali (may Allah bless him). Unlike previous theologians who spoke cautiously, he confidently criticized philosophy. In the introduction, he writes:
“In our time, a group has emerged who consider themselves superior to other people, who look down on religious rules and restrictions, and who, just because they hear the resounding names of Socrates, Hippocrates, and Aristotle and the exaggerated stories about them, have taken the path of denying religion in order to distinguish themselves from the masses. I decided to expose the flaws of philosophical theology and show that many of their principles are nothing more than a game and that their sayings are laughable and instructive.” [1]
Elsewhere, he says about the philosophers’ theory of the intellect and the heavens: “These words are darkness upon darkness. If anyone dreams of them, it will be evidence of his disordered temperament.”
And in another passage, he writes: “I am surprised that even madmen do not accept such delusions; How is it that wise people who consider themselves to be exact, take these words to heart?” [2]
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Criticism of the philosophers’ view about Allah Almighty
Ghazali (may Allah bless him) sharply criticizes and states that in the philosophy of some philosophers, the “First Principle” has been so refined that all the conditions of divine greatness have been stripped from Him and He has practically become an entity unaware of the world. According to him, Allah Almighty in their eyes is like a dead person who is only aware of His own existence and unaware of other matters.
Ghazali refutes this idea with verses of the Holy Quran and says: «وَما أَشهَدتُهُم خَلقَ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَلا خَلقَ أَنفُسِهِم» Translation: “And I did not make them witness to the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor to the creation of themselves.” [3]
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The remarkable consequences of Tahafat al-Falasifah
Muhammad Lutfi Juma writes about the consequences of this book: This courageous criticism was the beginning of a new era in theology of the fifth century AH, and the honor of it belongs to Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah bless him). After him, Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah bless him) continued this path and performed another intellectual surgery on the body of philosophy and logic.
“Tahafat al-Falasifah” dealt the first serious blow to the sanctity and awe of philosophy, and for a century, philosophers were deprived of the courage to respond. Finally, at the end of the sixth century AH, Ibn Rushd (d. 595 AH), a staunch defender of philosophy and a fanatic follower of Aristotle, came to the fore by writing “Tahafat al-Falasifah” and tried to save philosophy from this blow.
Western scholars believe that if Ibn Rushd had not done so, philosophy would not have survived Ghazali’s blows and its life would have ended. His defense breathed new life into the body of philosophy and kept it alive for another century. [4]
A little reflection!
If we look at Confucianism, we see that the central core and backbone of this school is nothing but human philosophy; a philosophy that claims to be able to chart the path to happiness and social order by relying on human intellect and experience. However, historical experience has shown that any school which builds its foundation only on imperfect intellect and human thought will sooner or later collapse in the face of logical criticism and rational assessment.
Imam Muhammad Ghazali (may Allah bless him) with his unparalleled insight and deep understanding of philosophical principles, showed that these types of schools, although they may be decorated on the outside and sometimes mixed with some moral teachings, are empty on the inside and deprived of the support of divine revelation and inspiration. Just as he shook the foundation of Greek philosophy and destroyed its apparent hegemony in “Tahafat al-Falasifah”, it can be said that if such criticism is directed at schools such as Confucianism, it will also destroy their intellectual lineage.
Of course, it must be said in fairness that Confucianism emphasizes some human virtues such as honesty, respect for elders, justice in relationships, and social cohesion, and this is considered a strong point on the surface. However, these virtues are neither the exclusive heritage of this school nor its special achievement. Human history, since the first days of creation, has witnessed the presence of divine prophets who, in the light of monotheism and connection with the source of revelation, have presented the most comprehensive and complete ethical and legal systems to humanity.
The prophets not only provided moral education for individuals, but also brought a harmonious system of rules and teachings for all aspects of human life: from individual worship to social relations, from transactions and trades to family relationships and associations, from spiritual education to the regulation of political and economic relations. The moral virtues on which Confucianism relies are a small part of the boundless sea of values that the prophets have conveyed to humans from Allah Almighty.
In other words, if we were to measure the moral system of Confucianism with the guidance of revelation, we would find a difference like a drop in the ocean. A philosophy that is based on the limited intellect of human, although it can solve some problems in the short term, will be helpless in the face of the fundamental questions and deep needs of the human soul. This is the point that Imam Ghazali (may Allah bless him) pointed out in his criticism of philosophy: Any system of thought that is separated from revelation will sooner or later reach a dead end, even if it appears to be splendid and ordered.
So, if Imam Ghazali (may Allah bless him) were to confront a school like Confucianism today, just as he confronted Greek philosophy, he would show with his precise and critical arguments that its foundation is weak and its apparent beauty cannot compensate for the void of connection to divine revelation. Such schools, although they sing the tune of morality on the surface, in reality, their compromises are devoid of the main note of monotheism and revelation.
In the next section, Allah willing, we will comprehensively and accurately examine the fundamental problems and errors of Confucianism from an Islamic perspective; an analysis that will not only clarify the philosophical and doctrinal dimensions of this school, but will also provide new solutions for a better understanding of the relationship between religion and philosophy in the face of non-divine ideas. Join us as we continue this scientific and critical dialogue and open a new window to a deeper understanding of philosophical ideas.
Continues…
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References:
- Imam Mohammad Ghazali, Tahafat al-Falasifah, Alamiya Press, Egypt, 1927, p. 332.
- Tahafat al-Falasifah, p. 32.
- Surah Kahf, verse 51.
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Muhammad Lutfi Juma, History of Islamic Philosophers in the East and West, p. 72, Egyptian Renaissance Publishing House, Cairo, 1957.
