Reason and Emotions in the Islamic Philosophical and Mystical Tradition

HDS 3665 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Over the past century, influential philosophers such as Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, together with feminist thinkers, have criticized the divide between reason and emotion as one of the conceptual foundations of conflict and violence in practice. They argue that the elevation of reason over emotion has contributed to deeper structures of exclusion, repression, and violence. In their reading of intellectual history, this hierarchy begins with the passage from mythos to logos and the rise of rational philosophy, a transformation they trace to Parmenides and see as taking a more systematic and influential form in Aristotle. Yet this compelling critique rests on a particular interpretation of intellectual history. This course examines that interpretation and asks what happens when the legacy of ancient Greek philosophy continues in the works of its Muslim heirs. How far does this account of reason and emotion hold true within the Islamic intellectual tradition? Through close readings of primary texts by Muslim philosophers, theologians, and mystics from the medieval period through the eighteenth century, we will explore how they understood the relationship between reason and emotion. Some affirmed the authority of reason, while others reversed this hierarchy and granted greater authority to the heart and to love. Still others rejected the dichotomy itself and developed accounts of knowledge that reached beyond rational understanding.

The course welcomes students interested in the theoretical foundations of violence, intellectual history, and Islamic thought. No knowledge of Arabic is required, though relevant Greek, Arabic, and Latin terms will be introduced when helpful. All readings will be available in English on Canvas. The class will be shaped by close reading, critical dialogue, and shared inquiry.