ibn Harm

Author: harmenscholte

  • On realism

    In a previous post we discussed how realism does not align in a perfect sense with Arabic haqq/haqqiyah. Realizing that modern academia is utilizing the English language it may be honest to assess what realism an sich entails.

    To provide a metaphysical background realism can be understood as the attitude of the absolute experience of a substance. At first glance this might be interpreted as skewing around the problem as one can argue that merely realism is substituted for absolute existence. This judgement has some merit.

    However in positivist attitudes towards knowledge i.e. non-skeptical positions to the possibility of logic a reframing of a previous illuster (dark) goad under consideration is not without meaning. This is where the puzzle of interpreting realism arises once more since meaning per se also can be interpreted to actually “mean something” in positivist contexts.

  • On knowledge #2

    It is the case that knowledge that carries weight is knowledge about relative knowledges. If a good-willed learner does not understand about the epistemes of his environment it becomes intractible to discuss in free-structured fora.

  • On love

    I did not realize it before so consciously but it is possible that you and you soulmate have different interests. This is where philosophy and religion could provide unifying principles. The themes of family are for example considered very highly in many religions, as well as some philosophical traditions.

  • On philosophy

    I am as of now still waiting for the library to open and to prepare Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions so it seems like a good time to release some thoughts about philosophy in higher learning.

    I have been blessed to receive now two years of structured instruction and two years of self study at Leiden University in the premasters and masters program of Global and Comparative Philosophy. At the moment I chose this program for some reasons:

    • The program was advertised as unique in Europe with regards to its global and comparative aspect.
    • It seemed foolish to miss out the chance of getting acquinted with philosophical traditions other than the Eurocentric ones.

    As most students entering the abode of peace of university I have had ups and downs with regards to studentlife.

    Not so much different from culture shock that some students or young professionals experience while travelling abroad and staying a semester in another country.

    I think the studies in Leiden is not so much different from programs at other universities. Programs of Philosophy that is. At the University of Twente it was mandatory to follow a class of ethics.

    I can’t recall with pinpoint accuracy what it was about again but I remember the atmosphere and it is not unlike that of Ethics courses in Leiden.

  • On method #2

    To discuss the topics of survey, monolith, exploratorive and explanatory research

    Surveys are to be associated with inquiries of manifold nature

    Both surveys and monoliths consider a topic

    Surveys investigate multiple facets of a arosen topic

  • On the hadith “actions are judged by their intentions”

    The only way that actions can be judged by their intentions is if the world of ‘aql عقل is more real than the world of matter. In Arabic this statement (the conditional) could not be made i.e. it does not translate since “realness” and haqqiyah (al-haqq conv. translated as “the Real”) do not perfectly allign.

    In the words of Ned Flanders of the Simpsons: “I cannot live in good intentions.” Relating to an episode in which his house is destroyed and despite good intentions no substantial building occurs.

  • Media #2

    differences in media, rich and poor types of content are not by all learners known to be paradigmatically different sources.

  • On knowledge

    It struck me that knowledge in the context of university/madrassa is knowledge in a specialist way or knowledge in a general way. Aristotle proposed that learning consists of deriving particulars from the general. I propose it is other than this.

    Learning has as its telos to arrive at pre-derivative knowledge.

  • On media and llm in higher learning

    The dogmatic rejection of the use of large language models in higher learning is bad for two reasons:

    1. It sets a bad precedent of not accepting new methodologies
    2. It testifies to poor spirit

    Discussion of media and alternative methods of instruction are nothing new. Before the creation of the internet teaching was vastly different from the current disposition.

    Was it by necessity worse?

    I argue to the contrary.

  • On conceptions of the divine

    With eid celebrations being well underway it is good custom to reorientate ourselves to our relationship with the Qur’an. Being of philosophical substance I take this opportunity to discuss some words on devotional nature.

    One may posit the following definition of divinity:

    • God is a force

    This seems like a reasonable position to uphold. As the Greeks correlated the extranatural realm with natural forces such as the wind and fire and et cetera.

    Another position one can take is

    • God is a ideal

    This embodiment is interesting since it makes the concept of the divine more “graspeable.” In medieval philosophy God is often characterized as:

    • Actus purus
    • Primus movens

    With the first sharing similarities to God as an ideal and the second relating to traditional interpretations of the God as the entity whose essence cannot be seperated from its existence.

    My ideal conception is similar to God as a force.