A sociological analysis of the issues facing Muslim nations in the world
Social philosophy is the study of social behavior of people and their ethical values which helps in understanding the nature of human societies. In other words, social philosophy is the study of our social world. This research paper is a case study of Muslim societies around the world to assess the current social and political crisis faced by almost all the Islamic nations and suggest areas of improvement so that they come close to the social philosophy of Islam. It is important research for all those who are interested in this subject.
Download PDFDistinguishing Islamic concept of trust from general philosophy of trust
There are differences of opinions among philosophers about the meaning of ‘trust’. Various opinions have been offered in this regard, such as trust is, (i) hope, (ii) optimism, (iii) reliance, (iv) expectation, (v) agreement, (vi) confidence, (vii) belief, (viii) assurance, (ix) trustworthiness, etc. Some philosophers say that trust is important as well as dangerous and risky, therefore, it is necessary to know when trust is reasonable, substantiated, believable and warranted. Trust may not be warranted in certain situations because the conditions necessary for it do not exist. The things important in trust are, (i) the nature of trust, (ii) the value of trust, and (iii) the rationality of trust. Many related issues have been discussed in this paper. A brief account of Islamic perspective of ‘trust’ is also provided. It is hoped that this research will benefit people in their day to day lives.
Download PDFThe philosophy of hope and optimism and its relationship with faith
Philosophical discussions about ‘hope and optimism’ have been recorded throughout the history of philosophy across all philosophical traditions, but these topics were not paid as much attention as the topics like ‘belief and desire’. However, there were some exceptions, like Italian philosopher Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), German Marxist philosopher Ernst Simon Bloch (1885-1977), French Philosopher Gabriel Honoré Marcel (1889-1973), etc., who acknowledged that hope is an important factor in human motivation, religious beliefs, and politics. They regarded ‘hope’ as an attitude in believing that certain action will result in a positive result. Hope is of two types, (i) a simple desire which is considered possible for which no action is needed, and (ii) a resolve to set oneself upon, pursuing a desired result, hoping that it will be accomplished. The expected result is treated as an object of hope. The words ‘hope’, and ‘optimism’ are used interchangeably by people, however, these are distinct from each other. A person can hope for a miraculous cure of his ailment, but he may not be optimistic about it as the evidence in front of him is contrary to his expectations. Therefore, it is said that hope is contrary to practical reasoning, but it works as a motivating factor for a person to involve in a hopeful activity. It is argued that hope could be rational and irrational. Similar is the case with optimism. The irrational optimism is known as ‘optimism bias’, which is fantasizing about a positive outcome by entertaining the feelings of irrational anticipation. All related issues, in this context, including the Islamic perspective of hope, have been discussed in this paper to help people to be objective in their actions and be motivated in pursuit of their goals in life.
Download PDFHappiness is one of the subjects of Positive psychology, a new field of study in which emphasizes is placed upon three factors, viz (i) well-being, (ii) positivity, and (iii) happiness. It is generally agreed that happiness is a state of mind, a feeling of contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy. There are two aspects of happiness, (i) how a person feels in the present moment, and (ii) how a person feels about his overall life. A brief study of various aspects of happiness have been discussed in this paper to help people to find out how to be happy in life.
Download PDFInvestigating the philosophical and religious roots of meditation
Meditation means deep thinking or focusing one’s attention on only one thing. In modern psychology, meditation is a practice to achieve a relaxed state of mind. Meditation is of two types, (a) nonfaith-based Meditation, and (b) faith-based Meditation. The faith-based meditation is part of faith and spirituality of every religion. We have described a brief historical account of faith and spirituality of different religions in this paper to assess which is the best course of meditation in the light of the historical facts. This paper is divided into four sections, (1) A brief description of nonfaith-based meditation, (2) Historical account of different faiths in the world, (3) A brief description of spirituality, and (4) Meditational practices of different religions in the world. We hope it will help our readers to find the most authentic meditational practice which is beneficial to them physically and spiritually.
Download PDFThe causes of laziness and procrastination and how to overcome them
Laziness is disinclination to activity, an indolence, despite having the ability to act. It is an attitude, and in some people, it is an attribute. Lazy people see no point in accomplishing anything. Procrastination is an act of voluntarily delaying or postponing things knowing fully well that there can be negative consequences in doing so. It is a habit and a tendency to postpone important and urgent tasks in favor of other things which are easier, more pleasurable, and less important. It is said that procrastination and Laziness are siblings who usually influence each other, and it is difficult to identify which one helped the other. This paper discusses various causes that make people procrastinate or become lazy. Understanding these causes is important so that these could be avoided for a better living.
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