Philosophy and Islamic theology (Ilm al-Kalām) – Pt.2

At the beginning of this session the meaning of “philosophy” and “Islamic philosophy” were both discussed. It was said that the definition of Islamic philosophy sits in opposition to two major traditional streams of philosophy: Western philosophy and Eastern philosophy. Three essential questions regarding Islamic philosophy, namely meaning, possibility, and the realization of Islamic philosophy, were also addressed. Different perspectives about the relation between Islamic philosophy and Western philosophy (Greek and Alexandrian), as well as examples of the definition of philosophy according to Muslim philosophers were mentioned. There was also a discussion on the different schools of Islamic philosophy, including their structures and sources. The second half of the session was dedicated to discussing “Kalam”. This included talking about definitions for Kalam and Ilm Al-Kalam, as well as the relation between Kalam and philosophy. At the end of the session questions were answered from participants.