Reconceptualizing Knowledge: The İnsights Offered by Islamic Epistemology

İsmail Polat

Makale detayları

Reconceptualizing Knowledge: The İnsights Offered by Islamic Epistemology

Yazarlar:

İsmail Polat

Yayıncı:

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Araştırmaları (Diğer)

Dergi:

Rize İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 29, pp.31-45

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

10/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340742

pISSN:

2980-0331

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 With modernity, the human tendency to understand life, the universe, and its contents solely through reason, to organize life accordingly, and to excessively prioritize material aspects has left profound effects on both individuals and societies. These effects, manifesting across a broad spectrum today, have led to significant transformations in political, economic, intellectual, and cultural spheres. This process has been shaped by the reductionist and fragmentary nature of knowledge, which emerged under the influence of rational thinking, and the classification of knowledge and sciences has largely been based on this perspective. This transformation has led to a loss of intellectual continuity and an epistemological gap in the Muslim world, necessitating a reassessment of the relationship between reason and revelation. In response, many Muslim thinkers have sought to overcome this epistemological crisis by opposing the reductionist and fragmented approach of modern thought, emphasizing the importance of the holistic perspective offered by Islamic epistemology in understanding life, the universe, and all that it contains. In Western epistemology, knowledge is generally confined to empirical data obtained through reason and sensory perception. In contrast, Islamic epistemology differs from classical Western epistemology in both the diversity of its sources and the ultimate purpose of knowledge. By grounding all existence and its fundamental meaning in God, Islamic epistemology provides comprehensive and profound answers to existential questions. It encompasses both rational and empirical data as well as truths revealed through divine revelation, ensuring a more holistic structure of knowledge. By offering significant insights into contemporary epistemological debates, Islamic epistemology not only fosters individual cognitive transformation but also provides a meaningful framework for establishing a common value system regarding knowledge. Analyzing the perspectives offered by Islamic epistemology and developing a new methodology within this framework is of great importance in addressing the intellectual and ethical crises of our time. This is particularly crucial in responding to issues such as the relativization of truth, information inflation and distortion, the instrumentalization of knowledge, crises of epistemic authority, and the impact of artificial intelligence on knowledge production. This study examines the perspectives and possibilities provided by Islamic epistemology in this context. It first explores the fundamental principles of Islamic epistemology, the nature and sources of knowledge, and its role in the social context. It then investigates the epistemological insights and solutions it provides. Through a literature review and conceptual-analytical approach, this study aims to establish a relationship between Islamic epistemology and modern scientific and philosophical discourse. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to both Islamic thought and general epistemology by highlighting how these contributions can be considered in contemporary intellectual and academic discussions.

 With modernity, the human tendency to understand life, the universe, and its contents solely through reason, to organize life accordingly, and to excessively prioritize material aspects has left profound effects on both individuals and societies. These effects, manifesting across a broad spectrum today, have led to significant transformations in political, economic, intellectual, and cultural spheres. This process has been shaped by the reductionist and fragmentary nature of knowledge, which emerged under the influence of rational thinking, and the classification of knowledge and sciences has largely been based on this perspective. This transformation has led to a loss of intellectual continuity and an epistemological gap in the Muslim world, necessitating a reassessment of the relationship between reason and revelation. In response, many Muslim thinkers have sought to overcome this epistemological crisis by opposing the reductionist and fragmented approach of modern thought, emphasizing the importance of the holistic perspective offered by Islamic epistemology in understanding life, the universe, and all that it contains. In Western epistemology, knowledge is generally confined to empirical data obtained through reason and sensory perception. In contrast, Islamic epistemology differs from classical Western epistemology in both the diversity of its sources and the ultimate purpose of knowledge. By grounding all existence and its fundamental meaning in God, Islamic epistemology provides comprehensive and profound answers to existential questions. It encompasses both rational and empirical data as well as truths revealed through divine revelation, ensuring a more holistic structure of knowledge. By offering significant insights into contemporary epistemological debates, Islamic epistemology not only fosters individual cognitive transformation but also provides a meaningful framework for establishing a common value system regarding knowledge. Analyzing the perspectives offered by Islamic epistemology and developing a new methodology within this framework is of great importance in addressing the intellectual and ethical crises of our time. This is particularly crucial in responding to issues such as the relativization of truth, information inflation and distortion, the instrumentalization of knowledge, crises of epistemic authority, and the impact of artificial intelligence on knowledge production. This study examines the perspectives and possibilities provided by Islamic epistemology in this context. It first explores the fundamental principles of Islamic epistemology, the nature and sources of knowledge, and its role in the social context. It then investigates the epistemological insights and solutions it provides. Through a literature review and conceptual-analytical approach, this study aims to establish a relationship between Islamic epistemology and modern scientific and philosophical discourse. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to both Islamic thought and general epistemology by highlighting how these contributions can be considered in contemporary intellectual and academic discussions.

 With modernity, the human tendency to understand life, the universe, and its contents solely through reason, to organize life accordingly, and to excessively prioritize material aspects has left profound effects on both individuals and societies. These effects, manifesting across a broad spectrum today, have led to significant transformations in political, economic, intellectual, and cultural spheres. This process has been shaped by the reductionist and fragmentary nature of knowledge, which emerged under the influence of rational thinking, and the classification of knowledge and sciences has largely been based on this perspective. This transformation has led to a loss of intellectual continuity and an epistemological gap in the Muslim world, necessitating a reassessment of the relationship between reason and revelation. In response, many Muslim thinkers have sought to overcome this epistemological crisis by opposing the reductionist and fragmented approach of modern thought, emphasizing the importance of the holistic perspective offered by Islamic epistemology in understanding life, the universe, and all that it contains. In Western epistemology, knowledge is generally confined to empirical data obtained through reason and sensory perception. In contrast, Islamic epistemology differs from classical Western epistemology in both the diversity of its sources and the ultimate purpose of knowledge. By grounding all existence and its fundamental meaning in God, Islamic epistemology provides comprehensive and profound answers to existential questions. It encompasses both rational and empirical data as well as truths revealed through divine revelation, ensuring a more holistic structure of knowledge. By offering significant insights into contemporary epistemological debates, Islamic epistemology not only fosters individual cognitive transformation but also provides a meaningful framework for establishing a common value system regarding knowledge. Analyzing the perspectives offered by Islamic epistemology and developing a new methodology within this framework is of great importance in addressing the intellectual and ethical crises of our time. This is particularly crucial in responding to issues such as the relativization of truth, information inflation and distortion, the instrumentalization of knowledge, crises of epistemic authority, and the impact of artificial intelligence on knowledge production. This study examines the perspectives and possibilities provided by Islamic epistemology in this context. It first explores the fundamental principles of Islamic epistemology, the nature and sources of knowledge, and its role in the social context. It then investigates the epistemological insights and solutions it provides. Through a literature review and conceptual-analytical approach, this study aims to establish a relationship between Islamic epistemology and modern scientific and philosophical discourse. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to both Islamic thought and general epistemology by highlighting how these contributions can be considered in contemporary intellectual and academic discussions.

 Moderniteyle birlikte insanın salt aklını kullanarak ürettiği düşüncelerle hayatı, evreni ve içindekileri anlaması, hayatını düzenlemesi ve maddeyi aşırı derecede önemsemesi, birey ve toplumlar üzerinde derin etkiler bırakmıştır. Günümüzde geniş bir yelpazede kendini gösteren bu etkiler, hem siyasi ve ekonomik alanda hem de entelektüel ve kültürel düzeyde önemli dönüşümlere yol açmıştır. Bu süreç, rasyonel düşüncenin etkisiyle ortaya çıkan bilgi anlayışının indirgemeci ve ayrıştırıcı doğasının etkisiyle şekillenmiş, bilgi ve ilim tasnifi de büyük ölçüde bu perspektife dayandırılmıştır. Müslüman dünyasında bir hafıza kaybı ve epistemolojik bir boşluk oluşturan bu dönüşüm, akıl ve vahiy arasındaki ilişkiyi yeniden sorgulama ihtiyacını doğurmuştur. Bu bağlamda pek çok Müslüman düşünür, bu epistemolojik krizden çıkabilmek için modern düşüncenin indirgemeci ve parçalı yaklaşımına karşı çıkmış, insanın hayatı, evreni ve içindekileri anlamasında İslam epistemolojisinin sunduğu bütüncül perspektifin önemine dikkat çekmiştir. Batı epistemolojisinde bilgi, genellikle akıl ve duyularla elde edilen deneyimsel verilerle sınırlıdır. İslam epistemolojisinde ise bilgi hem kaynaklarının çeşitliliği hem de bilginin nihai amacı açısından klasik Batı epistemolojisinden farklılık göstermektedir. Tüm varlıkların kaynağını ve temel anlamını Allaha dayandırarak, insanın varoluşsal sorularına kapsamlı ve derinlikli cevaplar sunan İslam epistemolojisi, hem akıl ve deneyimsel verileri hem de ilahi vahiyden türetilen hakikatleri kapsamakla bilginin bütüncül bir yapıya kavuşmasını sağlar. Bu yönüyle çağdaş epistemolojik tartışmalara önemli açılımlar getiren İslam epistemolojisi, sadece bireysel bir anlayış değişimiyle sınırlı kalmamakta, aynı zamanda bilgiye ilişkin insanlığın ortak bir değer zemini oluşturmasında da önemli bir perspektif sunmaktadır. İslam epistemolojisinin sunduğu açılımları analiz etmek ve bu çerçevede yeni bir metodoloji geliştirmek, çağımızın entelektüel ve ahlaki krizlerine, özellikle günümüzde bilginin anlamını ve güvenilirliğini tehdit eden hakikatin göreceli hale gelmesi, bilgi enflasyonu ve kirliliği, bilginin araçsallaştırılması, epistemik otorite krizleri ve yapay zekânın bilgi üretme süreçlerine etkisi gibi sorunlara çözüm üretme açısından büyük bir önem taşımaktadır. Bu çalışmada İslam epistemolojisinin bu bağlamda sağladığı açılım ve imkânlar ele almaktadır. Bu çerçevede öncelikle İslam epistemolojisinin dayandığı temel prensipler, bilginin doğası, kaynakları ve toplumsal bağlamdaki rolü ardından da bu epistemolojinin sunduğu imkân ve açılımlar irdelenmektedir. Çalışma, İslam epistemolojisinin bilgi kaynaklarını ve doğasını ortaya koyarak, modern bilim ve düşünceyle ilişkilendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Literatür taraması ve analitik yöntem kullanılarak yapılan bu çalışma, modern epistemolojik sorunlara karşı İslam epistemolojisinin sunduğu imkân ve açılımları değerlendirmektedir. Çalışma, İslam düşüncesi ile genel epistemolojiye katkıda bulunmak ve bu katkıların güncel bilimsel ve felsefi tartışmalarda nasıl ele alınacağını ortaya koymakla önemli görülmektedir.

Makale detayları

Reconceptualizing Knowledge: The İnsights Offered by Islamic Epistemology

Yazarlar:

İsmail Polat

Yayıncı:

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Araştırmaları (Diğer)

Dergi:

Rize İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 29, pp.31-45

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

10/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340742

pISSN:

2980-0331

İslamic Philosophy

Science

Theory of Knowledge

Epistemology

İslamic Epistemologyİslam Felsefesi

Bilim

Bilgi Teorisi

Epistemoloji

İslam Epistemolojisi

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: İsmail Polat

Yayıncı: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University

Ana Başlıklar: İslam Araştırmaları (Diğer)

Dergi: Rize İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 29, pp.31-45

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 10/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001340742

pISSN: 2980-0331

Sayı

Yazarlar:

İsmail Polat

Yayıncı:

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University

Ana Başlıklar:

İslam Araştırmaları (Diğer)

Dergi:

Rize İlahiyat Dergisi Issue 29, pp.31-45

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

10/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340742

pISSN:

2980-0331