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Anthropology From The Past To The Present




As we know, all sciences are good for everybody and it must be objective to create a common knowledge legacy of humanity. Therewith, objectivity is one of the most important principles of science. 'Scientific objectivity expresses the idea that the claims, methods, and results of science are not, or should not be influenced by particular perspectives, value commitments, community bias or personal interests, to name a few relevant factors'[1]. But now or before, can we say this statement is valid for anthropology or all of the social sciences which are based on western ideology?
Anthropology with its other name -the study of men- as a general definition helps us to understand ourselves through understanding other cultures.  In western ideology, it is claimed that societies follow the social development stages in which western people are at the top of it. It means the western people are an example of human perfection. Undoubtedly, this theory was inspired by Darwinism. At the same time, it reveals to us how social sciences were coordinated with positive sciences but this is outside the subject. After that, there are a couple of questions which have a big importance for everyone; how western idea presents their findings which consists of the number of doubts as a common social or scientific reality? Why western people are at the top of this ranking? And what is the line which separates people from each other and makes some of them superior to the others? As a basic example, how a black man cannot have the same right as a white man?
The book Toward Islamic Anthropology: Definition, Dogma, and Directions by Akbar Ahmad is written to touch on these problems and to emphasize the conflict between Western and Islamic perspectives because of their different understanding of the world.
This book consists of two main parts; in the first part, the author describes the science of anthropology and it's the connection with other sciences of man. The author explains how anthropology is connected with the colonial encounter from some aspects. This part of the book gives an overview of the most important issues of anthropology and its working area. In addition, talking about the history of anthropology from the beginning, it explains western anthropological understanding. He says nearly all studies which had done until this time are based on western thought. So the author claims that Muslim society must rebuild the science of anthropology inspired by the universal principles of Islam. He expresses anthropology in Islamic perspective with these words: ‘We may define Islamic anthropology loosely as the study of Muslim groups by scholars committed to the universalistic principles of Islam -humanity knowledge tolerance- relating micro village tribal studies in particular to the larger historical and ideological frames of Islam’ [2] In the second part, He is talking about Islamic anthropology and how it can be built. He also mentions about Muslim societies and demonstrates the society during the time of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w).
 At least, according to the Islamic perspective, there is no difference between people because of their color of skin or properties or ancestors. As prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) says: ‘There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab. Neither is the white superior over the black nor is the black superior over the white -- except by piety.’ It means the one thing which separates us in relation to Allah. Outside it, there is not any difference or superiority between people. All this, we can say the author aimed to draw the plan of new anthropology and to rebuild it compatible with Islamic principles.



[1]      https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-objectivity/
[2]   Toward İslamic Anthropology: Definition Dogma And Directions. Akbar S. Ahmad, Virginia, 1986, p: 56

Comments

  1. Appreciate this post. Will try it out.

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  2. Howdy! This post could not be written any better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He constantly kept preaching about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he's going to have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

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