Major works of Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Bibliography
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr was born on 7th April 1933 in Tehran and attended schools in his hometown. The schools offered Persian curriculum concentrating much in Persian and Islamic subjects though Nasr got French tutorial as well. When he was twelve years old, he moved from Iran to the United States of America where he enrolled in Peddie School in Hightstown. He showed his academic excellence when he graduated at the top of his class and won the Wyclifte Award , the highest honor in that school for being the most exceptional all round student. It is during his four years in this school that he learned English language as well as American history, Christianity, Western culture and sciences. He became the first Iranian undergraduate to enroll at M.I.T where he began studying Physics. He was motivated to study physics by the urge of gaining knowledge on physical reality. He later however felt that physics did not quench his thirst to know the Truth though he still stuck to his studies until he graduated with honors (NASR Foundation, 2009).
When he graduated from MIT, Seyyed Hossen Nasr enrolled in graduate course in geophysics and geology at Harvard University. He got a Masters degree in geology and geophysics and immediately pursued a PhD degree in history of science and learning at the same University. When at the Harvard, he recommenced studying classical Arabic as well as philosophical Arabic. He moved to different parts of Europe while at Harvard, a move that enabled him to have contacts with great intellectuals, philosophers and traditional writers. He graduated with a Ph.D. when he was only twenty five from Harvard University just before he finished writing his first book entitled Science and Civilization in Islam. He immediately returned to his motherland, Iran where he became an associate professor at the Tehran University and after five years became a full professor, the first youngest in the history of the university at that time. It is at this point in time that he initiated teaching philosophy based on Islamic history and perspective in addition to encouraging the students to learn other intellectual traditions and philosophies from their own traditions point of view (NASR Foundation, 2009).
He rose to the position of the Dean of faulty and then the Academic vice Chancellor in Tehran University from the period between 1968 and 1972, the positions he used well in making strong programs in philosophy and other humanities. He was made the President of Aryamehr University, which was a leading technical and scientific university in the country. He initiated different programs in Iran in addition to teaching students who later become world renowned scholars. In 1979, he returned to the United States of America during the Islamic revolution in his country. He took up his lecturing job in University of Edinburgh, then Temple University and currently he is a professor at George Washington University where he teaches Islamic studies. He has been very instrumental in establishment and expansion of Iranian and Islamic studies in universities such as University of Utah, Princeton as well as the University of Southern California (NASR Foundation, 2009).
Seyyeds major ideas drawn from his works
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr has written and given lectures in different fields of Islamic Sufism, esoterism, metaphysics and philosophy of science. He has written and spoken on the viewpoints and doctrines of philosophy (perennial) on subjects like religion, spirituality, philosophy, art, music, science, architecture, literature, natural environment and civilization dialogue. From these works, different ideas can be derived.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr on Islam, science and technology
Contemporary science and technology started impacting the Islamic world approximately two centuries ago and from that time, the subject has become an increasing challenge to Muslim life with Muslims debating on how best they should respond to Western creations. The debate has brought about several discrete philosophical positions as pertains to Islam, science and technology. Due to the fact that modern science and technology has continued to perversely impact the traditional Muslim thought and life, the responses of the Muslims have addressed and covered different issues that relate to their insinuations from every direction.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is one of the well known scholars to respond to these issues. His philosophical position which he together with his school (intellectual) has founded or spoken is known both in the West and in the word of Islam. Through his many writings and lectures for the last five decades, he has offered the most complete academic response to science and technology which no other Muslim has ever provided in the debate over the subject. His critique of contemporary science and technology can be termed as being profound and that is based on scholarship that is sound (Bakar, 2007).
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr vivid philosophical point of argument can be summarized in three statements. One, contemporary science is a science of nature and is not the only valid science of the natural order it is only valid within the context of its supposition of the nature of thinking and known objects. Secondly, the civilization of Islam will destroy itself if it simply imitates Western science and technology this is because modern science directly challenges the Islamic worldview. Thirdly, contemporary science and technology cannot be described as being value free or neutral as it enforces the value system and worldview on humanity (Bakar, 2007).
Nasri argues that Muslims must be ready to tackle the contemporary science and technology having a sense of moral and intellectual integrity and responsibility based on the intellectual Islamic tradition. He urges Muslims not to avoid modern sciences but instead master them. He however asks them to create an Islamic critique that is positive of modern science based on the intellectual tradition of Islam. He states that it should be the sacred duty of all Muslim intellectuals, scholars as well as the scientists to come up with a modern Islamic science that is authentic. Nasr has consistently critiqued the contemporary science and technology writing several dimensions about what he believes to be destructive and dehumanizing aspects of modern science and technology (Bakar, 2007). Though numerous Muslims agree with Nasris view, there are those who have criticized his substitute for contemporary science and technology terming it as backwards and impractical in the implementation especially in the current world.
Islam and the Violence Question
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr has contributed to this topic largely. He has regularly stated that despite the fact that there have been conflicts and violence in different regions of the world that involves religions, Islam has often been associated with violence by the Western World. The ottoman domination, the Islam conquest of Spain and some other instances often give a historical impression that Islam is associated with power and force. In addition, he mentions the Middle East conflicts and particularly some groups that have tried to solve problems which have been created by causes and conditions Muslims cannot control as some of the facts that have strengthened the idea by the West that Islam is often related to violence. He however states that for one to understand the Islam nature as well as the truth about the allegation made that Islam supports violence it is significant to realize that the term Islam in fact means peace. He argues that the West should be concerned about the Islam religion, its ideas and principles and not specific events that have taken place historically (Nasr, n.d.).
He states that Islam is not totally opposed to the use of force though it usually tries to control it according to the holy law (al sharia). Nasr adds that the aim of Islam is to come up with equilibrium wherever there is tension between different forces. It is this equilibrium that is referred to as justice. However, he argues that force should not be used in a manner that it will bring disorder and disequilibrium which would in turn result into injustice. The professor claims that any use of force should have the guidance of the holy law with the objective of bringing back an equilibrium and hence justice (Nasri, n.d). He defends Islam claiming that even during the war, force should not be exerted against women, children and the civilian but only against the forces in the field. He concludes by stating that Islam is against any form of violence, to mean any use of force that is unjust and that violates the rights of others, regardless of the religious affiliation (Nasr, n.d).
Seyyed Nasr on Islamic Christian dialogue
Professor Seyyed Nasr has been part of the dialogues that have taken place between the Muslims and other religions and mainly Christianity. He has written articles on this issue trying to find solution on how to overcome the obstacles and problems that hinder such a significant move. He admits that Christian-Islamic dialogue has grown with time with round table discussions, conferences, meetings as well as written and oral exchanges being held in nearly every part of the globe. He adds that discussions of theological and scholarly nature have been debated (Nasr, 1998).
He admits that through these dialogues, many issues have been solved though there are those that still remain unresolved up to now. Nasr maintains that Islam is easier to accept that Christianity is a true message from God than the Christians would do. The main area of contention between the two religions is on whether Islamic revelations are true (on the Christianity side) and the issue of trinity and the divineness of Jesus (on the Islam side). He insists that despite the differences that would arise in the attempt to interpret the revelations, the best thing that one can do is to promote respect between each others religious group, with the view that none of the religion is superior to the other. In his article, he quotes a verse in Quran And argue not with the People of the Scripture (including Christians) unless it be in a mostly kindly manner, save with such of them as do wrong and say We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender (Nasri 1998). The professor concludes that as the world continue to experience pervasive crises which include environmental destruction and life desecration caused by technological advancement, Christians as well as the Muslims will realize that in fact they have more in common than their differences (Nasr 1998).
Philosophy and Religion
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasri has been and is a proponent of the traditional philosophy. This is the philosophy which reserves a higher place for the holy scriptures of the world religious traditions. He critiques the Western philosophy that separates itself from the scriptures. He adds that the Western philosophy in the middle ages had great links with the scriptures but not so with the modern western philosophy. Nasr claims that Islamic philosophy has always paid great attention to scriptures. He makes it clear that Islamic philosophy has not just founded itself on the scriptures otherwise it would become theology. He mentions great Islamic philosophers such as Ibn Sina and Mullar Sadra who wrote annotations upon the Quran. Sadir explains that traditional philosophers have analyzed the sacred scripture on its symbolic level and not merely on the perennial level. He adds that Islamic philosophers and Sufis have made commentaries on the Quran (Norton 2004).
Religion and Ecology
Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr has made a statement that religion and ecology are inseparable. He blames the Western canon for separating science from the sacred and religion from the secular (Hope Young, 1989). He states that in the Islamic nations, religion is a very strong force as compared to non Islamic states. Political leadership in an Islamic society (true) ought to act in conformity to the shariah as created by the experts of law. Whenever these experts of the law declare that polluting industries or some developments are violating the principles of Islam, political leadership should comply with the advice and deal with the transgressors. He however admits that this is not very common as the world has been dominated economically by the West and thus Islam is forced depend both politically and economically on the West meaning that it is the west that sets the agenda. He adds that the problem lies with the renaissance humanism that brought about a world which is centered not on the Creator but on man. He adds that the western science is illegitimate because scientists do not see the requirement to integrate with a higher knowledge. Nasr strongly speaks against evolution theory which speaks against divine creation (Hope Young, 1989).
Reflections on Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Nasr has dealt with different Islamic fields such as Sufism, esoterism, metaphysics and philosophy of science. Most Of what he has written and spoken has been based on viewpoints and traditional philosophy. One of the most profound aspects of professor Nasr is that he has maintained his Islamic faith despite traveling in both Muslim and non Muslim regions. He has been able to explain science, ecology, philosophy, violence and other subjects from Islamic viewpoint.
Addressing the topic of science and technology, Nasri has made it clear that Western Science has obstinately affected Islam in one way or another. He however advises that Muslims should tackle modern science and technology, not avoiding it but mastering it. Regarding the relationship between religion and ecology, he states that both are inseparable and blames the Western dogma for the attempt to separate the two. He shows great support for the perennial philosophy that acknowledges the scriptures of global religious traditions. He throws the blame to the Western philosophy that has often tried to disconnect philosophy from the sacred scriptures.
He supports ChristianMuslim dialogue, stating that despite their differences in doctrines, they need each other especially during the global crises currently being experienced in the world. Regarding violence, he makes it clear that Islam only supports the use of force that would bring justice in the world and that which is prescribed in the Shariah. Any other type of violence is not in accordance to the Islamic teachings.
In conclusion, it is evident that Seyyed Hossein Nasr is a great Muslim philosopher and a scholar who has devoted his life in promoting what he believes in and as a result influenced both Islamic and non Islamic world in various fields.
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