Western Science And Islamic Science

Western science and Islamic science? Nabeel Adeyemi Introduction The terms Western Science and Islamic science were coined to reflect principal worldviews and concepts of human development. Both terms have been coined and appropriated to argue a differentiated universality. In fact, too much has been said about both terms and the discourse has often spilled over to unrelated territories. No doubt that both terms should attain universality on their own terms and that must attain universality if the there is to be any chance for sustainable development for human societies, however certain opponents and proponents of these terms are not necessarily objective, I believe. My central claim, which is made with respect to the universality of knowledge, is that the present struggle between believers in Islam and contemporary scientific philosophies fail to see a continuum in human tradition. The ensuing struggle between the prompters of the terms Western Science and Islamic science continues in forms unending pedagogical discourses. I am thus arguing that it is unnecessary form a dichotomy between these terms as it will inexorably deny some truth and benefit to human as a whole realizing that the progress and physical development come about through heterogeneous nature of percepts and concepts.

Is it necessary to form a dichotomy between Western Science and Islamic Science? We will want to understand what Western Science and Islamic Science means so as to know if we need to form a dichotomy of the above subject. What we refer to as Western science is basically a body of knowledge derived from basic metaphysical assumption of Philosophical Materialism1 of which Newtonian physic is the foundation and, because it seemed to describe so well much of what has been observed about the Universe, it came to dominate entirely the thinking in all disciplines of science including biology, medicine, psychology, psychiatry etc. This implied that the world is organized strictly in accordance with mechanistic principle leaving no room for a rationale for a Creator or Superior designer2. One can reasonable argue that this thought was a culmination of a worldview in human history and activity through a continuous process of learning and activity. The term ‘Western Science’ would thus seems an appropriate corollary for the European how adopted ‘ancient’ science and arts and developed it into what we have today. These activities continue till today albeit the devastating effect on human civilization3. The deeply, individuated, value-based system of Western Science is largely held responsible for this. Another opinion, which held sway over the western academic world but has been refuted, according to Goldziher's theory The concept that the universe was essentially a 'material' system operating under the laws of Newtonian Mechanics and This became the pre-eminent scientific discipline to which all other disciplines were subordinate 1

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According to Alex Paterson, this is not a position embraced by Newton himself. For him the creation of the Universe was inconceivable without divine intervention of a superior intelligence or Creator. Newton believed God created the universe as a system governed by mechanical laws and once it had been created, it could be studied and understood as such (http://www.vision.net.au/~apaterson/science/science_critique.htm viewed 3rd Sept 2009) 3

Sarton, George (1927-48). Introduction to the History of Science (3 v. in 5), Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication no. 376. Baltimore

is that "ancient sciences", which "included the entire range of propaedeutical, physical, and metaphysical sciences of the Greek encyclopedia, as well as the branches of mathematics, philosophy, natural science, medicine, astronomy, the theory of music and others" were looked upon by the "strict orthodoxy" with mistrust and "with the growing influence of a narrow orthodoxy, this distrust which the religious circles of Eastern Islam felt expressed itself with an increasing intensity and alienation of ‘speculative knowledge’ ... the pious Muslim was expected to avoid these sciences with great care because they were considered dangerous to his faith." And those former civilizations were a channel through which the great works of the Greeks were carried safely to the eager minds of the European Renaissance”. In so far as history is concerned the fact that Western Science interited a great deal from Islam cannot be denied. While the list of scientist like al- Rāzī (865-925), Jabir ibn Hayyan (Geber), Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq (808-873), Al-Jāhiz (ca.781-868), al-Kindī (ca.801-873) to mention a few, were patronized by the rules of the world, most of who were Muslims during that era which Islam was the dominating world power, one often wonder how, why and what led to this highly sophisticated scientific tradition which left an indelible legacy for humanity. Attempting to explain the term Islamic Science would, hence be difficult for the scientific tradition that Western Science inherited was never Islamic per se as a field of endeavor. Perhaps out of a sense of appropriation of idea would the term Islamic Science be justifiable used to qualify the scientific tradition as and contribution of Muslims during that period Islam ruled the world. So I see the term "Islamic science" is an oxymoron.

However, it is opined that the world view of early Muslim thinks made them excel in the scientific traditions4. Little progress has been achieved so far towards achieving a broad consensus about distinguishing Western Science and Islamic Science. Some, like Abdul Salam Abdul Salam, a Pakistani theoretical physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 rejected the idea altogether, while others accept it whole-hearted5. The notion of a ‘Western Science’ and ‘Islamic Science’ would be hard to support from the evidence of the interrelationship of human worldviews6 . Certain reflection shows a multi-layered relationship between and within world-views. According to Irzik and Nola (2007) Worldviews are characterized by their generality and their tendency to be comprehensive. They provide a framework for the way a person or a whole community makes sense of life and the world (understood to include the entire universe) in its most significant aspects and dimensions. Generally worldviews attempt to be all-encompassing

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A rough chronological order of topics in the Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) will expose how earlier Islamic world views was quasi-scientific. This forms the basis of the argument that the challenges faced by earlier Muslims, social inter-course (not clash) with other civilizations and most importantly rapid expansion of Islam into other civilizations, hence the sophisticated level of progress of the early civilization of Muslim.

Hoodbhoy, Pervez Amirali, Muslims and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Struggle for Rationality, foreword by Mohammed Abdus Salam (Lahore: Vanguard Books, 1991). 5

Even as philosophers like Al-attas’ are of the opinion that knowledge cannot be neutral to values (Islamic Science: Towards a definition by ALPARSLAN ACIKGEN, ISTAC publication Pg 3, 1996), concept of Islamic Science remains problematic due to the numerous layers of epistemological inquiry to form the body of knowledge which is already existing, an irony ? 6