American University Beirut
Monday, 08. January 2024, 17:00-19:00
Abstract:
Human reason is not reliable, but Islam is a rational and true religion. To solve this paradox, the great littérateur and intellectual provocateur al-Jāḥiẓ (d. 868-9) proposed that the cornerstone of rationality is social exposure, not theoretical arguments. His unique contribution lies in his uncanny attention to the biases of thinking and cognitive pitfalls. This talk seeks to situate his project in the formative ʿAbbasid moment of Islamic history. It also discusses the worldview of the theological group whose teachings he was advocating, the Epistemists.