Framing the Mind-Body Problem in Contemporary Neuroscientific and Sunni Islamic Theological Discourse.

The mind-body problem, famously posed by Descartes, remains unresolved in Western philosophy and science, which have not moved convincingly beyond dualism. This paper argues that reframing the problem through interdisciplinary inquiry that includes non-Western perspectives, specifically Sunni Islamic theology of the soul, may be fruitful. While Islamic theology also adopts a position commensurate with substance dualism, bringing it into dialogue with contemporary neuroscience and philosophy of mind could provide a new way forward. The paper provides an overview of how these three discourses approach the mind-body-soul problem, aiming to ignite further scholarly dialogue and investigation.

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Abstract

Famously posed by seventeenth-century French philosopher René Descartes, the mind-body problem remains unresolved in western philosophy and science, with both disciplines unable to move convincingly beyond the dualistic model. The persistence of dualism calls for a reframing of the problem through interdisciplinary modes of inquiry that include non-western points of view. One such perspective is Islamic theology of the soul, which, while approaching the problem from a distinct point of view, also adopts a position commensurate with (substance) dualism. Using this point of convergence as a conceptual starting point, we argue that bringing into dialogue contemporary neuroscientific, philosophy of mind, and Sunni Islamic theological discourses may provide a fruitful way of reframing the age-old mind-body problem. This paper provides an overview of how these three discourses have approached the issue of the mind-body (-soul) problem. Juxtaposing these three discourses, we hope, may ignite further scholarly dialogue and investigation.