Document Type : Scientific extension
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Educational Sciences Department, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Iran.
2
Phd in Philosophy of Education, Departmant of Education, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
3
Master's student in the History and Philosophy of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
Reason, as one of the pillars of epistemology in Islamic thought, has always been a subject of attention for scholars. This study aims to elucidate the role of reason in the thought of Abu ʿUthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Jahiz (160-255 AH), the prominent Muʿtazilite thinker, by examining its place in his epistemological system. Unlike Peripatetic philosophers such as Al-Farabi and Avicenna, who emphasized the theoretical aspects of reason, al-Jahiz viewed reason as a practical and multifaceted tool that, alongside experience and revelation, aids in the understanding of the world and the reform of social behavior. Using a qualitative content analysis method, this study examines key works of al-Jahiz, including Al-Bayan wa al-Tabyin, Al-Hayawan, Al-Bukhala, and Al-Rasa’il, and shows that he presented an innovative approach to Islamic epistemology by integrating reason, experience, and revelation. This perspective places al-Jahiz between the rationalism of the Peripatetics and the textualism of the Ashʿarites, highlighting his influence on the development of Islamic empiricism. The present research suggests that further study of al-Jahiz’s thought can contribute to a deeper understanding of the history of Islamic philosophy.
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