Framing the Mind-Body Problem in Contemporary Neuroscientific and Sunni Islamic Theological Discourse.
Faisal Qazi, Don Fette, Syed S Jafri, Aasim I Padela
The New bioethics : a multidisciplinary journal of biotechnology and the body July 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/20502877.2018.1438835 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Sunni islamic theology Consciousness Dualism Mind–body problem Soul |
| Key points | Proposes that integrating contemporary neuroscience, philosophy of mind, and Sunni Islamic theological discourses may offer a productive reframing of the mind-body problem. |
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.