A site devoted to Philosophy - Science Interface (PhiSci)
Fika-F
The Workshop was attended by faculty members, doctoral scholars and post-graduate students, from a wide range of disciplines: Philosophy, Islamic Studies, Psychology, History, Law, English, Education, Mass Communication, Unani Medicine, Western Medicine, Physics etc, from many important academic institutions in India.
The FIKA Workshop centre-staged the scheme of Integral Reality: Transcendental, Supra-Material and Material, and the corresponding scheme of Integral Learning: Metaphysics, Cosmology and Sciences, as well as, the scheme of Integral Epistemology: Revelation, Intellection (High Intuition), Reason, Empirical Perception.
It then identified the place of various Disciplines of Study, of the Modern and Traditional streams, within these schemes of Reality and Learning, to characterize the strengths and limitations of each discipline, and the transformations needed for maximizing their strengths and recognizing the limitations. The conclusions at the Workshop were adopted as FIKA Resolutions.
We believe that despite its novelty and challenging nature, FIKA had the desired impact in launching a fundamental, crucial and long-term process of critiquing and optimizing existing Learning, Sciences and Disciplines, in main-stream Academic Institutions, on the basis of All-inclusive Philosophy.
This basic activity of analyzing and improving on the basis of All-Inclusive Philosophy (AIP) or Traditional Philosophy, mainly focuses upon the academic dealing of Modern and Traditional, Natural and Human Sciences, mainly because of our own academic positioning. However, the other streams also based upon All-Inclusive Philosophy, and where it has to be applied, namely, personal spiritual Realization, Civilizational Policy and Traditional Islamic Sciences, mainly Transmitted Sciences (Ulum Naqliyyah) or Islamic Religious Sciences, taught in the massive, well-defined Traditional Islamic Learning Institutions, or Madrasahs, are not totally ignored. Some, possible application of AIP is undertaken in these streams also.
By AIP or Traditional Philosophy is meant the Islamic Traditional Philosophy, deeply engaged with other Traditional Philosophies: Hindu, Neo-Platonic, Taoist, Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Jain etc and borrowing from them, where it is natural to do so, without any attempt to develop one syncretic traditional philosophy. The Traditionalist discourse, based on Guenonian Thought, is also very central to AIP. (We wish to avoid the more commonly known sister term, Perennialism, for certain reasons, whose explication has no significant role in the present, fundamental introduction.)
Our Approach
Coming to the defining factors of our qualification for this task, it is based upon our life-long, non-formal study of quasi-traditional Islamic Learning, mainly in Urdu, under significant guidance of Ulama** and in association with Sufi Masters**. These authentic sources are drawn from many Islamic Schools and Organizations. We have given full acceptance to the Universal pole of the Universal-Particular Dialectic of Islamic Tradition, without, of course belittling, the Particular pole .
Again, we have made extensive study of Traditionalist Thought based on Guenonian discourse, which is mainly, Vedantist, Islamic (Mainly Ibn Arabi [R]) and Neo-Platonist. This study too has been off and on vetted by Masters of Traditionalist Thought, as well as, Ulama close to Traditional Philosophy and Academic Scholars of Philosophy
In Islamic Religious Discourse, we drew upon all principal areas: Tafsir, Hadith, Seerah, Fiqh, Islamic History, Arabic, Urdu, but have been more and more focused on Traditional Islamic Philosophy and Sufism, mainly Intellectual Sufism (Nazari Tasawwuf eg the discourse of Ibn Arabi [R]).
Finally, our knowledge of Traditional Islamic Medicine (Unani Medicine), particularly its Fundamental Principles (Kulliyat), obtained while teaching Modern Pharmacology and Modern Medical Research Methodology and supervising Research on more than one hundred Unani Treatments, at the Post-Graduate Section of Faculty of Unani Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), India; gave us the opportunity of understanding Traditional Islamic Philosophy and the only living Traditional Islamic Natural Science, namely Unani Medicine, with help from each other.
This allowed better understanding of both Traditional Philosophy and Traditional Science, and also gave the Traditional Complement to our Scientific training, mainly underpinned by our long Formal study of Western Natural Science while pursuing the study for MBBS and MD (Pharmacology) (amu.ac.in > Academics > Departments > Ilmul Advia > Faculty Members > Retired Faculty Members).
We have remained ardently interested in Western Novel from our teenage period to fifty years of age, and read with deep interest and pleasure hundreds of classical novels. Now, in Literature, only Shakespeare, Rumi, Hafiz, Ghalib and Iqbal etc, and Metaphysical Criticism, connected with New Criticism, retain appeal.
This, according to a profound fellow Traditionalist**, gave to our study and output its unique nuance of scientific objectivity, sufficiency and simplicity. As well as, imaginative understanding and articulation.
FIKA Follow-up
Coming to the defining factors of our qualification for this task, it is based upon our life-long, non-formal study of quasi-traditional Islamic Learning, mainly in Urdu, under significant guidance of Ulama** and in association with Sufi Masters**. These authentic sources are drawn from many Islamic Schools and Organizations. We have given full acceptance to the Universal pole of the Universal-Particular Dialectic of Islamic Tradition, without, of course belittling, the Particular pole .
The need for feeding this process from as many corners as possible, including the progenitor, FIKA, prompted us to initiate a long-term follow-up, announced at the Valedictory Function of the Workshop.
We are happy that the follow-up also took life, and with the coming up of FIKA-F website, the means are now available for presenting the events, in direct line, or kindred; already undertaken, announced or planned to be undertaken, as well as, to interact with fellow travelers.
Professor Kunwar Mohammad Yusuf Amin
- MBBS, MD (Pharmacology)
- Exponent of Traditional Philosophy
- Professor in Pharmacology (Retired)
Director, Philosophy-Science Forum Department of Ilmul Advia, Faculty of Unani Medicine Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
Directors
- Kunwar Mohammad Sohaib Yusuf
- Kunwar Mohammad Omair Yusuf
Assistant Directors
- Khushal Ahmad Khan
- Ajmal Hussain
Guides & Discussants
- Sufia: Mawlana Mohammad Taqi Amini, Mohammad Farooq Khan, Syed Fazlullah Jilani, Abu Saeed Shah Ahsanullah Muhammadi Safawi
- Traditionalist Scholars: SH Nasr, Muhammad Suheyl Umar
- Traditionalist Scholars: SH Nasr, Muhammad Suheyl Umar
- Fellow Traditionalist: Tariq Ashfaq
- Academic Scholars: Ashok Johri, Ajay Kumar Varma, Aamir Reyaz
- Religious Saints and Scholars:
