1. Al-Ghazālī's Methodological Skepticism and Foundationalism.
- Author
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MOHAMED, NABIL YASIEN
- Subjects
SKEPTICISM ,FOUNDATIONALISM (Theory of knowledge) ,EDUCATION of Muslims - Abstract
In this article, I examine al-Ghazālī's methodological skepticism and its role in establishing foundational knowledge.1 Despite the considerable scholarly attention given to The Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-ḍalāl), the foundationalism present in it has received relatively limited investigation. Al-Ghazālī established the foundations of knowledge by taking his methodological skepticism to its logical conclusions. His engagement with the sources of knowledge, namely, taqlīd, sense perception, and self-evident truths form the cornerstone of his skepticism. To understand how al-Ghazālī finds deliverance from his skeptical impasse, and ultimately establish foundational knowledge, the concepts of "divine light" and fiṭra will be discussed. Unlike Greek skepticism, al-Ghazālī's skepticism was not a denial of the possibility of knowledge about the nature of reality, nor was it a denial of Muslim doctrine, but a methodological approach to establish the foundations of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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