Razian prophecy rationalized

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21597982
AutoresHüseyin Güngör (0000-0002-6403-0570, Johns Hopkins University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2024
Volumen32
Número3
Páginas401-425
Fecha de publicación2024-05-03
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0960-8788 • E-ISSN: 1469-3526
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09608788.2023.2235613
OpenAlexW4385579354
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas20

Abū Bakr Muḥammad bin Zakariyyā' al-Rāzī (865–925) is generally known as a freethinker who argued against prophecy and revealed religion based on arguments from fairness of God and rationality. Recently, scholars have argued that Razi was not as radical as the general interpretation takes him to be. Both the freethinker and conservative interpretations seem well-supported based on difference bodies of evidence. However, the evidence is based on secondhand reports. In this paper I argue there is an interpretation of prophecy which is supported by primary sources and can reconcile these putatively contradictory positions. Under my interpretation Razi allows for prophecy based on the rationality of moral deference in certain circumstances. In this picture one function of prophets is to act as moral experts for deference. This interpretation provides a synthesis of the freethinker and conservative views. Razi is conservative in having room for prophecy because of his dualist nature of humanity, and Razi is still a freethinker who values reason above all, because moral expertise requires excellent command of reason

Deference · Epistemology · Humanity · Linguistics · Rationality · Theology · Islamic Studies and History · Islamic Thought and Society Studies · Medieval and Classical Philosophy · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology