Philosophizing About “Religion” by Doing Social Ontology: The Islamic Philosophical Theology Tradition
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11245-026-10496-1
- Dergi Adı: Topoi
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, L'Année philologique, Humanities Abstracts, MathSciNet, Philosopher's Index, zbMATH, Philosopher's Index full-text, Art, Design & Architecture Collection (ProQuest), Art, Design & Architecture Collection (ProQuest), Arts Premium Collection (ProQuest), Humanities Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Al-Fārābī, Al-Māturīdī, Ibn Taymiyya, Philosophy, Philosophy of religion, Religion, Social ontology
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Philosophy of “religion” is a rather modern phenomenon, as the nature of the phenomenon of “religion” itself has become a subject of philosophical investigation in the early modern period. Several Enlightenment philosophers, most notably Hume and Hobbes, argued that religion is a purely human-created structure that is mainly political and without a divine origin. Their views are based on the observation that religion is deeply intertwined with fundamental human characteristics, and it has considerable socio-political functions. These views have influenced the field of religious studies more significantly than philosophy of religion, leading to the emergence of various sociological, political, psychological etc., theories of religion that usually detach religion from a divine source. Given the background, it is important to note that analytic philosophers of religion are often criticized by their continental counterparts for doing philosophy of religion by reducing it to beliefs and doctrines and isolating it from the social contexts within which religious beliefs are formed and lived. My paper aims to propose a method for engaging in the philosophy of “religion” that integrates its truth claims with its socio-political functions. This approach draws on the works of key figures in Islamic philosophy and theology, such as al-Māturīdī, Ibn Taymiyya, and al-Fārābī. Although aligning with early moderns in characterizing religion partly as a socio-political institution, Muslim thinkers drew the opposite conclusion that this fact only underscores the need for a virtuous religion with a divine origin and true principles. Only such a religion, they contended, can deliver the expected socio-political benefits. By analyzing religion as an institution based on human nature and needs, Muslim philosophers contributed early insights into social ontology. My paper will argue that this methodology supports a holistic understanding of philosophy of religion, avoiding the reduction of religion to any single one of its basic features or functions. In addition to its methodological advantages, thinking about religion from a social ontology perspective might have surprising implications and pose interesting questions for some widely recognized problems of philosophy of religion.