LEthique en Islam

LEthique en Islam
LEthique avec al-Ghazzl
Sous la direction de :

Beddy EBNOU

IESE - Institute for Epistemological Studies - Europe Beddy EBNOU, Directeur Dounia MELIANI, Charge de Communication Sminaire prsent par Professeur Adrien LEITES 12 fvrier - 23 fvrier 2013, Bruxelles

LEthique avec al-Ghazzl

Sminaire organis en partenariat entre lInstitute for Epistemological Studies - Europe et luniversit de Paris-Sorbonne Prsent par Adrien Leites, Responsable du parcours islamologie de luniversit de Paris-Sorbonne Avec le soutien de Frdric Lagrange, Chef du Dpartement des Etudes Arabes Et Barthlmy Jobert, Prsident de luniversit de Paris-Sorbonne

Lobjectif de ce sminaire est de partager avec les chercheurs et les collaborateurs de lIESE lthique construite par Ab mid al-Ghazzl. Le sminaire sintresse moins aux sources de cette construction ou la doctrine quil expose, comme dans la plupart des ouvrages qui traitent du sujet. Il considre davantage limportance de la construction de lthique de Ghazzl, et sa pertinence pour la pense contemporaine.

Le sminaire est divis en six confrences, qui traitent chacune dun point spcifique de lthique. Confrence 1 Linattention (ghafla), principale menace pour la vie morale Pourquoi nest-il pas suffisant de croire en une vrit et pourquoi avonsnous besoin dtre attentif aux faits, si nous voulons agir ainsi ? Confrence 2 Plaisirs, un groupe complexe Y a-t-il des plaisirs intrinsquement bons ou mauvais, ou est-ce que leur valeur dpend de la faon dont nous en jouissons ? Confrence 3 Laccoutumance morale Pourquoi avons-nous besoin dacqurir un caractre lorsque nous avons une loi qui nous dit ce quil faut faire ? Confrence 4 Le juste milieu (wasa) Pourquoi devons-nous toujours chercher le juste milieu entre deux extrmes. Confrence 5 La justice (adl), une qualit inne Est-ce que la justice est ncessairement dirige envers les autres, ou peut-elle commencer par lauto-conduite ? Confrence 6 Patience (abr), la qualit globale Est-ce que la patience peut nous permettre non seulement dviter les mauvais actes, mais galement deffectuer les bons ?

INTERVENANTS

Adrien LEITES, Etudes Islamiques, Universit de Paris-Sorbonne Beddy EBNOU, Institute for Epistemological Studies - Europe Mustafa DNMEZ, Facult des Sciences Islamiques de Belgique Denis Mustafa TETIK, Birgl KAPAKLIKAYA, Gundem Newspaper Belgium Diego HERNANDEZ, Chaire Hoover dEthique Economique et Sociale Esma YILDIRIM, IERES-Adsam Mustafa KASTIT, Institute AlKauthar Sabrina JANS, Middle Eastern Studies, Universit de Leiden Semsettin UGURLU, Excutif des Musulmans de Belgique Muserref YARDIM, Middle Eastern Studies, Universit de Leiden Fatha Allah MOHAMMAD, Thologien, Khalid HAJJI, Conseil Europen des Oulmans Marocains Jamal MOUMINA, Centre Culturel Islamique de Belgique Haka Hsn ERZURUMLU, Universit sortant... Abdelaziz SARET, Alliance Mondiale des Marocains de lEtranger, Section Belgique Annelie LHR-CAMPION, Ali OUALMAKRAN, Dpartement de Philosophie, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Rabah KADDOURI, Centre Bruxellois dAction Interculturelle

Ethics with Ghazzl

Series of seminars at the Institute for Epistemological Studies, Europe (IESE). Presented by Adrien Leites, University of Paris-Sorbonne With the support of Frdric Lagrange, Head of Department of Arabic Studies And Barthlmy Jobert, President of the University of Paris-Sorbonne

The seminar is divided into six lectures, each dealing with a specific ethical point. The questions I wish to raise are: Does the point look valid to us ? , Does it relate to contemporary ethical issues ? , If no direct relation appears, can we adapt it to our context ? . My hope is to show that we, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, can do today ethics with Ghazzl .

OUTLINE

Lecture 1 Inattention (ghafla), the main threat to moral life Why is not sufficient to believe in a truth, and why do we need to be attentive to facts, if we want to act well ? Lecture 2 Pleasures, a complex group Are there intrinsically bad and good pleasures, or des their valur depend on the way we use them ? Lecture 3 Moral habituation Why do we need to acquire a character when we have a law that tells us what to do ? Lecture 4 The mean (wasa) Why do we always have to look for the mean between two extremes, rather than simply distinguishing right from wrong ? Lecture 5 Justice (adl), an inner quality Is justice necessarily directed toward others, or can it start with self-conduct ? Lecture 6 Patience (abr), the global quality Question : Can patience enable us not only to avoid bad acts, but also to perform good ones ?

The Mean and Moderation

The idea that right conduct lies in a mean (wasa) between two extremes seems to be a distinctive feature of the ethical tradition in Islam. It appears to some extent in the Qurn (jaalnkum ummatan wasaan, verse 143 of Srat al-Baqara), more explicitly in adth (khayru l-umr awsauh), and is elaborated by prominent scholars. Ab mid alGhazzl is among these. Drawing on Aristotle, he argues that all the superior traits (fail) are a mean between base ones (radhil). The idea of the mean has gained new relevance with the rise of various forms of extremism in our world. Some have even advocated a middle way (wasaiyya) running between two extreme ones. But arent we likely to lean toward one of the extremes we supposedly avoid ? Isnt it preferable to establish independent criteria for extremism, such as the readiness to constrain or to harm others in the name of ones conviction ? When we have such criteria, arent we better prepared to adopt a moderate position in all circumstances ? In other words, to make the mean ethically efficient, shouldnt we refrain from taking it literally ? Shouldnt we understand instead the idea of the mean as a call for moderation ? These questions can only be answered through the sudy of specific ethical issues in private, social or economic life. While I am at IESE, I will look for researchers inclined to undertake such study, and to publish their work. I, on the other hand, intend to expand my research on the mean in the ethical tradition and, hopefully, to contribute to the study of the contemporary issues. If the traditional aspect is sufficiently important, a joint study and publication can be considered. At this point, Abdallah Cheikh-Moussa, Professor of Arabic Literature at the Sorbonne, has agreed to make a contribution on the mean in the literacy tradition. I now provide a detailed outline of the seminar. This outline divides

the six points into specific ideas, each illustrated with quotations from Ghazzls Mzn al-amal.

LECTURE 1
Inattention ( ghafla ), the main threat to moral life
a. Inattention to the hereafter - Weak thesis : inattention despite uncertainty Any rational being should at least allow the possibility that the prophets were telling the truth, and should thus get prepared for the hereafter through science and action. If he doesnt, thats because of inattention. - Strong thesis : inattention despite faith People who believe in the hereafter should get prepared for it, but most of them dont. Thats because theyre inattentive to mediating on the matters of the hereafter, an inattention rooted in the domination of appetites. b. Inattention and ignorance/unbelief - Inattention caused by ignorance Disregarding the way of happiness is the inattention of the ignorant . The soul of the blind imitator is sometimes cowardly, and refrains from

examining the contradictions that appear to him in law. That is because his reason is weak, and his constitution without vigour. He then takes on inattention to these contradictions for fear that his imitation will be destroyed . - Inattention coexisting with ignorance Woe to that who does not believe in God, and who is inattentive to His saying: In the earth are signs for those having sure faith ; and in your selves; what, do you not see ? [Koran, LI, 21] The one who thinks that mere faith will suffice him, he displays ignorance of true faith, and inattention to the saying of the Prophet: That who says <There is no god but God> with pure intention, he will enter paradise . Science may require a long effort, as in the case of the common people, especially the stupid who have grown old in inattention and ignorance, and did not learn at the time of childhood . - Inattention causing ignorance The inattentive man who does not tell the true from the false, the beautiful from the ugly, he will remain devoid of belief. He will not take action against his appetites, but will keep following pleasures instead . Ignorance may stem from inattention, and from not having come across a guide that makes you attentive . - Inattention without ignorance Through clearing the road of glass and mud, man also improves his soul, refines his character and clears his soul of the base traits of inattention, hardness and lack of compassion . This book does not aim at showing truth and falsehood through proof in these matters. It rather provides counsels that make you attentive to inattention, and guide you toward what you should search for. Thus, man will not be inattentive to what the Sufis said . The world is like a snake. The charmer seizes it and extracts from it the antidote. But when the inattentive man seizes it, he is killed by its venom, not knowing where death comes from .

 People are of two sorts in relation to death. First, the inattentive man, that is the real idiot who meditates on death and what follows only with regard to the state of his children and what he leaves after his death . Everyone who is expecting to be called by a king at any time, this man should be prepared to answer the call. If he is not, the messenger may come while he is inattentive, and he will thus be denied happiness . c. The resources of inattention - Temporary inattention Increasing pureness and perfection of the soul, and joy at its beauty, occurs when man wakes up from the sleep that has made him inattentive to the perception of the state of his soul. The soul then displays a beauty at which he rejoices, or a stain and defect which exposes him to shame . Since faith in God is rooted in the souls by original constitution, people are two sorts. First, those who turn away and forget. They are the unbelievers. Second, those who set their thought in motion and remember. They are like the man who bears a testimony, then forgets it through inattention, and eventually remembers it . - Necessary inattention Where it not, say the Sufis, for Gods will to make the world flourish, the veils would be removed and inattention would disappear. All people would head to the way of God, and each group would drop what is remote from the goal. But all parties are happy with what they have, and thus make the universe subsist. Were it not for this contentment, moreover, the crafts would collapse. If the tailor, the weaver or the barber did not believe that there is something in his work that entails his inclination to it, he would drop it. All would proceed to the noblest of crafts, and the large number of crafts would collapse. These circumstances are necessary to make the circumstances of craftsmen possible. So their inattention to these aspects is part of Gods mercy . - Inattention that qualifies What goes beyond sufficiency in accomodation steps out of the boundary of religion, and is a move toward the realm of the world. I mean by

that the concern for a beautiful house. As to sitting in such a house while being inattentive to it, and without rejoicing at it and relaxing in it, this is permitted . - Using inattention Whenever man looks at the people of the world, and focuses his mind on their inattention to the hereafter and the many misfortunes they suffer in the world, he is comforted for its loss and does not mind leaving it .

LECTURE 2
Pleasures, a complex group
a. Avoiding pleasures - Refraining from pleasurable acts Whatever position you adopt toward the hereafter, your reason prescribes that you busy yourself with science and action, and turn away from the pleasures of the world . Whenever you are confronted with an alternative, and do not know which of the two acts is more right, choose the one that is repugnant to you, not the one you love . Law dissuades us from the permitted acts that are accomplished for the pleasure taken in beautiful things . - Avoiding pleasure in acts Man should crush his avidity for food. Thus, his goal with food will not be to take pleasure in its consumption, but to get full strength in order to gain access to science and action. Eating will be for him like feeding his animals. When he rises to struggle, his goal is access to struggle alone. He wishes he could do without food, while keeping his strength for science and action .

 The one who knows that the appetite for food was created in order to enable man to gain access to the sciences through a healthy body, his goal with food will be to become stronger for worship, not to take pleasure in food . He knows that the appetite for copulation was created in him as an impulse to copulation, which is the medium of the subsistance and preservation of the species. Let him pursue marriage to have children and to fortify himself, not for fun and enjoyment . When he takes food, he should act like someone who is forced to take something and wishes he could doo without it . In general, it is necessary to eat below ones fill. Thus, the body will be light enough for worship and night prayer, and the forces too weak to flow to the appetites . b. Meritorious pleasure - Taking pleasure in meritorious acts It does not escape notice that the scholar takes pleasure in his science, and in the intricate matters that are uncovered to him at every instant. This occurs in particular when he looks into the realm of the heavens and the earth, and divine matters . Rational pleasures are, for instance, the pleasure of science and wisdom. This kind of pleasure is the rarest and noblest. It is rare because wisdom is found pleasurable by the wise man alone . That who purifies his soul and nourishes it with the true sciences, he has strength to be steady in worship. Moreover, prayer becomes his comfort. Worshipping alone at night is the sweetest thing to him because he then converses with his Lord . - Finding the acts pleasurable Fine character consists in suppressing all the bad habits that law imparts in detail. Man should make them hateful to him, so that he avoids them as he avoids impurities. Fine character also consists in getting accustomed to the fine habits, in longing for them, in favouring them and in delighting in them . Whenever one performs acts of worship and refrains from forbidden

acts with uneasiness and repugnance, this stems from a deficiency, and man cannot attain perfect happiness through his action . To attain happiness, it is not sufficient to find the acts of obedience pleasurable and the acts of disobedience repugnant once in a while. On the contrary, man should have this attitude permanently and throughout his life . c. Using pleasures If he gets enjoyment and fun in marriage, it should be to become familiar with his wife, and to gain the varied experience that ensures fine companionship and a lasting mariage . The second wisdom behind sexual appetite and the appetite of the belly is to make people desire otherwordly happiness. Indeed, as long as they do not feel these pleasures and pains, they cannot desire paradise and beware of hell. If they were promised what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and what has not passed through the heart of man, the promise by itself would have no effect on their soul .

LECTURE 3
Moral habituation
a.Habituation through imitation What who wants, for instance, his soul to acquire the character of generosity, his way is to take on the act of the generous man, namely the spending of money. If he is steady in performing this act, it will become easy for him, and he will become himself generous. Likewise, that who wants his soul to acquire the character of lowliness, while he is dominated by pride, his way of struggling is to perform the acts of the lowly steadily. This performance should be repeated all the time, and at short intervals . That who wants the art of writing to become a fixed quality of his soul, his way is to do what the artful scribe does. It is, namely, to imitate beautiful script. This will then become an aptitude firmly rooted in him, and the art will become a quality of his soul. There will eventually issue from him spontaneously what he had taken on at the beginning artificially . That who has not got the character of courage, let him scrutinize himself. If his constitution is inclined to the deficiency, which is cowardice, let him perform the acts of the courageous man forcedly and steadily. The habit will then become part of his constitution, and a character of

his. After this, the acrs of the courageous man will flow from him spontaneously . b. Habituation through learning Likewise, that who wants to become a knower of the soul, he has no way but to practice knowledge, to memorize it and to repeat it. He is at the beginning simply taking on knowledge, but then the quality of knowledge reverts to his soul. He thus becomes a knower of the soul, in the sense that his soul has acquired a disposition to the production of knowledge. He will be able to do this spontaneously, whatever he wants to achieve . You might ask about that who governs the acts of the forces of appetite and anger. From his acts, there emerge characters firmly rooted in his soul. Through these characters, the acts become easy. Is this man, will you say, self-controlled ? . c. Habituation through couteraction It is reported of someone that he was treating the force of anger, and was taking on the quality of meekness. He used to give the senseless a wage to blemish him through public insult, so that he could bear this. He became such that his meekness passed into a proverb. Another one was training himself gradually to courage, and took to the sea in the winter. Yet another one used to prepare delicious food, and let other people eat it in his presence, while he confined himself to barley bread. He did that to crush his appetite. The worshippers of India treat laziness over worship through standing all night on one foot, and not moving from this position. Another one treated his love for possessions through selling all his possessions, and throwing the money into the sea . d. Inattention from habituation The state of the man who has the power to act on his knowledge is

like that of the artful and capable scribe who is inattentive to writing. He is disposed to writing through an immediate power, and to the outmost perfection . The superior traits are at their peak when they issue from man endlessly without thought, consideration or strain. He gets hold of truth without long strain, as if truth were issuing from him while he is immersed in inattention. He is like the craftsman artful in tailoring or in writing .

LECTURE 4
The mean ( wasa )
a. Ambiguities of the mean - Extreme similar to mean People blame pride and stinginess more than abasement and extravagance because the former are utterly ugly. But even if extravagance and abasement are blameworthy, they resemble generosity and lowliness respectively. The difference between the two is often thin, and people think that abasement and extravagance are commendable. In reality, they are base traits that deviate from the mean . - Mean contrary to extreme Rage is submission to the character that goes against meekness and meek behaviour . If patience occurs in war, it is named courage, and its contrary is cowardice. If it consists in silencing a burst of anger or genuine anger, it is named meekness, and its contrary is touchiness . b. Failures of the mean

- The merging of mean and extreme Thesis : Wisdom is a mean between the excess of trickery and the deficiency of simple-mindedness. Wisdom subsumes (1) fine discernment, while trickery subsumes (1) astuteness. Definition of fine discernment : It is the ability to draw what is most useful and best in the acquisition of the great goods and the noble ends. These goods and ends are those that are proper to you, or those that you point to someone else. They regard the conduct of household or city, resistance to the enemy, the pushing away of evil and, in general, any important and considerable matter . Remark : If the matter is insignificant and contemptible, the trait is named refinement and not fine discernment . Definition of astuteness : It is the ability to draw what is most efficient in order to complete what one thinks is a good but is not truly one, while it brings considerable profit . Case of refinement : The rational and refined man is never devoid of the remembrance of death . - The transformation of extreme into mean Thesis : Gravity is a mean between the excess of pride and the deficiency of lowliness. Definition of gravity : It consists in putting ones soul in the place it deserves, thanks to knowledge of its value . Definition of pride : It is raising the soul above its value . Definition of abasement (instead of lowliness ) : Lowering the soul in honours and respect to a position below its value . Remark : If this is done in the prescribed way, the trait is named commendable lowliness . - The divided mean Thesis : Modesty is a mean between the excess of shamelessness and the defect of indolence. Definition of modesty : In general, it is used for the act of refraining from the ugly, and it is also used for the act of refraining from what one

thinks is ugly . Remark : The latter suits children and women, but is blameworthy in rational men, whereas the former is beautiful in everyone . - Excess in the mean Shame is a weakening of the soul caused by excessive modesty. It is praised in children and women, but not in men . c. The hierarchical mean - In accomodation Lower rank or measure of necessity : to have a mere shelter, whatever building serves this purpose. This will content only those who rely entirely on God . Middle rank or degree of sufficiency : to have a place of ones own, where one can be by oneself, but without fine construction and abundant facilities. Upper rank : to have a spacious house that is built beautifully, and equipped with abundant facilities and unlimited dependencies. This steps out of the boundary of religion, and is a move toward the realm of the world . - In food Lower rank : to eat what keeps one alive, and maintains ones strength for worship. This can be diminished by habit. Some people eat every ten, twenty or forty days. Others eat one chick-pea a day. This is a great rank that only a few possess . Middle rank : to fill one third of ones belly. Upper rank : to go beyond one third. This is where gluttony begins. - In sustenance Lower degree : to be concernedn with sustenance for the present day and night alone. Some people move from the day to the hour, and from the hour to their own soul. They assume at every instant that their soul is departing from the world, and prepare for departure. Middle degree : to be concerned with one year ahead.

Upper degree : to go beyond one year. Those who do this attribute to their soul a long life. - In clothing Lower degree : to cover the private parts, or what it is customary to cover, with the simplest and grossest kind of clothes, clothes that are expected to last one day and one night. Middle degree : to wear what suits ones state, but without delight and illicit clothing. Upper degree : to accumulate clothes, and to seek delight in them. d. Reasons for the mean - The mean is hard If his constitution is inclined to the excess, namely fearlessness, let him make his soul aware of the outcome of fearful matters, and let him consider seriously the danger they involve. Let him refrain from excess, and take on the balanced attitude, or rather what approaches it. Indeed, to light on the true degree of just balance is hard. If this were to happen, the soul would depart from the body, and would lose all connection with it. Thus, the soul could not be punished through regretting what it missed while managing the body. Also, its joy at the unclosing of the beauty and majesty of God would go untroubled . - The mean saves To seek the mean between these extremes is hard. The mean is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword, as is said of the bridge path in the hereafter. That who walks straight on the path in this world, he also walks straight on the path in the hereafter. Indeed, man has at death the status he had in life, and he has in resurrection the state he had at death .

LECTURE 5
Justice ( adl/adla ), an inner quality
a. Justice as balance Of the science of the soul, the science of domestic life and the science of the conduct of subjects, the foremost is the polishing of the soul, the conduct of the body and the keeping of justice in these qualities . The three forces should be straightened out, and governed in the appropriate way and to the appropriate degree. The forces of appetite and anger should be made submissive to the third force, that of thought and reason. Whenever this is done, justice obtains . The soul should make use of reason, train the spirit of anger and give it power over appetite. It should indeed make use of reason against both forces. Sometimes, the soul should reduce the vanity and ardour of anger through giving freedom to appetite and letting it loose gradually. Other times, the soul should repress and constrain appetite through giving anger and spirit power over it, through making its consequences look ugly and being enraged at them. When the soul does all this, its forces are justly balanced and it has fine characters . Justice expresses the conformity of the three forces with the prescribed

arrangement. Through it is everything completed. For this reason, it was said : Through justice were set up the heavens and the earth . Justice is a state of the three forces, which are ordered relatively to one another, and according to their dominant or submissive position in the prescribed arrangement . b. Global justice Through such justice were set up the heavens and the earth. It is summary of the noble acts prescribed by law, of the pureness of soul, of fine and commendable character . Justice gathers all the superior traits while injustice, its opposite, gathers all the base traits . c. The extension of justice When the qualities are justly balanced, they extend to the distant subjects - women and children, and then to the people of the country . Justice in the characters of the soul is necessarily followed by justice in exchanges and in the conduct of people. The latter is like a branch of the former . d. Produced justice Since men were organized in society, they had to have among them justice and a rule of exchanges to which the could refer. Were it not for this, they would have quarrelled with one another, fought one another, and perished . Among the commendable expenses are those that make one acquire justice, namely prescribed alms-giving and expenses for the dependants .

LECTURE 6
Patience ( abr ), the global quality
a. Patience (abr al, bearing) Meek behaviour consists in bearing something repugnant . Through courage, man brings himself to bear hardships . b. Patience (abr an) - Doing without Like love of women is love of prestige, of properties, of children, even love of playing with birds, love of backgammon and of chess. These things take hold of some people and make them lose both religion and worldly life, while they cannot do without them . The lower rank in food is the measure of necessity. It consists in eating what prevents one from expiring, what maintains the presence of the body and the strength for worship. This can be diminished by habit. One way is to diminish consumption gradually until one gets accustomed to doing without food for ten days, or twenty . When one says to the mean, Why arent you content with this thing

you have ?, he answers : So and so is richer than me. Why should I bear what he doesnt do without ? . - Refraining Through courage, man also refrains from committing acts of disobedience . If patience consists in refraining from desired objects, it is named selfcontrol . c. Patience to The teacher might point, on the road of learning, to something which the pupil sees as pure mistake, and believes to be so with certainty. Whenever this happens, let the pupil blame his own soul, be patient, and keep following his teacher. Indeed, the mistake of his teacher is better than the right judgment of his soul . If the evil cannot be pushed away, sorrow is meaningless. On the contrary, man should find devices against it through the use of reason unmixed with sadness. When he does what he can to have efficient devices, he remains in peace of heart, awaiting the effects of the decision and decree of God, knowing that nothing can drive back what He has decided. He then meets the evil with patience if it does not move away, and he acknowledges that what God has decreed occurs .

ADRIEN LEITES
EXPERIENCE Teaching at Paris-Sorbonne, Department of Arabic Studies (2000-) - Muslim thought : Hadth and Tradition (second year), Kalm and argument (third year). - Master seminar : The ethics of Ghazzl (2012-2013). - Direction of theses in Islamic studies. Missions at Paris-Sorbonne University, Abu Dhabi, Department of Language and Business (2006-) Intensive ourse on Arabic civilization (four weeks of teaching per year, in Arabic). Courses on Muslim thought at various institutions : American University of Paris (2012), International Institute of Islamic Thought-France (2011), University of Paris-Dauphine (2010) Coordination of the Arabic Program at the French Institute of Arabic Studies in Damascus (1998-2000) Elaboration of a research project at the French Institute of International Relations (1997-1998) TRAINING Ph. D., Princeton University, Department of Near Eastern Studies (19921997) Graduate research at Oxford University, Saint Antonys College (1991) BA and Master in Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Paris III (1985-1990) WORKS The time of birth of Muammad. A study in Islamic tradition , Ph. D. dissertation, Princeton University, 1997 (under the direction of M. Cook).

 Temps bni et temps transhistorique. Deux conceptions religieuses du temps dans la Tradition musulmane , Studia Islamica 89 (1999). Sra and the question of Tradition , in H. Motzki (ed.), The Biography of Muammad, Leiden, Brill, 2000. En qute de lthique musulmane I. La notion dgalit en islam , Arabica 50, 2 (2003). En qute de lthique musulmane II. Les deux principes de diffrenciation , Arabica 50, 3 (2003). La rgle de lamour chez Ghazzl. la rencontre dune thique du tawd , Arabica 54, 1 (2007). Amour de Dieu et dsir de la mort. Le martyre selon Ghazzl , Arabica 55, 1 (2008). Ghazzls Alteration of adths : Processes and Meaning , Oriens 40 (2012). Qui est Ghazzl pour nous ? , in Actes du 3e Forum franco-saoudien pour le dialogue des civilisations, 2012. Bu and the Theory of Emotions : Can Ghazzl Make Us Like Hate Better? , forthcoming in Arabica. Amour chrtien et amour musulman. Textes dAugustin et de Ghazzl avec introduction analytique, forthcoming at Fayard. Ethique de lamour et thique du caractre. Le De moribus ecclesiae catholicae dAugustin face au Mzn al-amal de Ghazzl, in preparation.

IESE - Institute for Epistemological Studies - Europe

LInstitute for Epistemological Studies Europe est un institut de recherche dont la mission est de promouvoir de nouvelles approches pistmologiques permettant denvisager les questions de linterculturalit et de linterpntration culturelles lchelle locale et globale en mettant contribution les angles dattaque et les champs disciplinaires les plus varis. Les chercheurs impliqus dans ces travaux de recherche viennent dhorizons culturels et disciplinaires divers mais ont en partage les principes pistmologiques et thiques qui valorisent la pluralit paradigmatique dans ses divers aspects. Aussi les diffrentes disciplines universitaires et les diffrentes traditions acadmiques aussi bien afro-asiatiques queuro-amricaines sont-elles considres comme sources dclairage non seulement complmentaires, mais ncessaires dans les conditions du monde en mouvement. Linstitut veille cet gard offrir une infrastructure de recherche adapte et renouvele. Il uvre ce que non seulement la logistique scientifique soit adapte au besoin de ces chercheurs mais quelle puisse rendre les travaux de recherche accessibles et utiles la cit. LIESE tient ainsi faire dialoguer les diffrentes traditions de recherche ainsi que les diffrentes traditions culturelles corrlatives. Il sefforce ainsi contribuer lmergence dune pense non exclusive et dlivre autant que possible de tout ethnocentrisme. Pour ce faire, lIESE : - Fixe des axes spcifiques de recherche en vue de la promotion de linterdisciplinarit et de la pluridisciplinarit autour des questions thiques et pistmologiques suscites par les problmatiques de linterculturalit - Fait participer diffrentes universits et institutions acadmiques dans llaboration de projets communs - Organise des activits de recherche permettant de capitaliser les diffrents travaux de recherche promus : confrences, programmes, cycles, colloques, sminaires, ateliers de recherche, publications,

LEthique en Islam Lobjectif de ce sminaire est de partager avec les chercheurs et les collaborateurs de lIESE lthique construite par Ab mid al-Ghazzl. Le sminaire sintresse moins aux sources de cette construction ou la doctrine quil expose, comme dans la plupart des ouvrages qui traitent du sujet. Il considre davantage limportance de la construction de lthique de Ghazzl, et sa pertinence pour la pense contemporaine. LInsitute for Epistemological Studies - Europe LInstitute for Epistemological Studies Europe est un institut de recherche dont la mission est de promouvoir de nouvelles approches pistmologiques permettant denvisager les questions de linterculturalit et de linterpntration culturelles lchelle locale et globale en mettant contribution les angles dattaque et les champs disciplinaires les plus varis.