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Ali Shari'Ati "Humanity and Islam" Universal Ethics Is Islam
Ali Shari'Ati "Humanity and Islam" Universal Ethics Is Islam
Ali Shari'Ati "Humanity and Islam" Universal Ethics Is Islam
IDST29
Spring2014
AliShariatiHumanityandIslamUniversalEthicsisIslam
1.Therearetwowordstodescribehumankind:basharandinsan.
2.ThewordsbasharandinsancomefromtheQurantodefinethewordhumankind.Utilizingthe
wordbashar,theQuranstatesthatbasharismanorthetwofootedcreaturethatshares
physiological,biological,andpsychologicalcharacteristicsofallhumansregardlessofraceorreligion.
WhilethedefinitionofinsanintheQuranisrelatedtotheevolutionofhumanbeingsthroughtheir
choicesinlife.
3.AccordingtoShariati,humankindisbasharbutnotnecessarilyinsan,becausenotallhumanbeings
havetheabilitytoattainmoralattributessuchasempathyandcompassiontowardsothers
(Shariati,188).
4.Shariatiisdescribingbasharasthemajorityofhumankindwhosimplypossessanimalisticand
violenttraitsagainstotherhumanbeings,whileapersonwhoisinsanissomeonewhopossessesthe
qualitiesofselfconsciousness,theabilitytomakechoices,andtheabilitytocreate(Shariati,189).
5.Apersonwhoisinsanissomeonewhopossessesthequalitiesofselfconsciousness,theabilityto
makechoices,andtheabilitytocreate.Thefirstqualityofselfconsciousnesscanbeseeninaninsan
whoperceivesonesequalityinnatureandone'srelationshipwiththeUniverse.Thesecondqualityof
theabilitytomakechoicescanbeseeninaninsanwhoisabletoovercometheiranimalisticurgesand
choosetorevoltandcontrolthemselvesagainstnature.Lastly,thethirdqualityoftheabilitytocreate
canbeseeninaninsanwhoisnotcontentwithinthelimitsofwhatnatureprovidesandmustpursueits
wantsthroughthecreationofnewtechnologiesandartisticendeavors(Shariati,190).
6.Humansdifferfromanimalsinthathumansarethreedimensionalbeingsinthattheyareconsciousof
themselvesandtheworld,theycanchoose,andtheycancreate.
7.AccordingtoShariatitheprisonsofhumankindarematerialgoodswhichpreventpeoplefrom
gainingselfconsciousness,theabilitytomaketheirownchoices,andtheabilitytobecreative.He
discussesthembecausevariousideologiesdoawaywiththeirneedsandbestowrelativeself
consciousnessuponthemallowingsocietiestoevolve.
8.ThreePrisonswhichhedescribesarematerialism,pantheism,andhistoricism.
Materialism:Materialismrecognizeshumanstobemadeofmaterialessence.Hewritesthatweare
composedofmatter,thereforeitisimpossibleforustoevolvebeyondthecapacityifthedimensionof
matteritself.
Pantheism:PantheismdescribesthatGodisallknowingandhascontroloffate.
Historicism:Historicismdescribesthathumansareapartofhistory.
IwouldsaythatIamtrappedbymaterialismasIlike,takecomfortin,anddependonmanymaterial
objectssuchasmyphone,andmycomputer.
9.Humanscanfreethemselvesfromtheseideologiesbyacceptingthemall.Wehavetheabilityof
freedomwhichallowsustomakeourownchoicesbydenyingthethingswedonotlike.
10.Peopleasliberators,creators,andconsciencechoosersareabletofreethemselvesfromtheprison
ofnatureandhistorythroughtheaidofscience.
11.Thesekindofhumanshavearesponsibilityinthisworldtodeviseaplantocreatesomethingin
whichmankind,God,andloveareallintertwinedtoinitiateanewcreationandvisionofIslam.