Thinking in the Language of Reality

About the Book

Sadr al-Dîn Qûnavî (1207-74 CE) was pivotal to the development of systematic philosophy, and indirectly contributed to the rise of fields of inquiry considered fundamental to our modern scientific outlook. He formed part of a wider critique of traditional Aristotelian epistemology which, Dr. Shaker argues, culminated in two historic “epistemological openings.” The first stretched from the 10th to 15th centuries under the aegis of Islamic civilization (taken in a non-confessional sense). The second occurred in early European thouht culminating with Heidegger. Dr. Shaker compares these two periods in his introduction, identifying key points of convergence and placing Qûnavî in a broad historical context.

In his magnum opus, Kitâb i´jâz al bayân, Qûnavî takes as his point of departure the age-old problem of knowledge, but in a completely new light. Ibn Sînâ—whom Thomas Aquinas and Latin Scholasticism knew as Avicenna—had pithily declared man incapable of truly knowing “the realities of things,” much less God, by theoretical reasoning alone. Taking up the challenge, Qûnavî shows under what conditions one may lay claim to such knowledge. He develops a paradigm that draws on the logical, linguistic and exegetical insights of his predecessors, especially Ibn ´Arabî.

The resulting synthesis, which takes the unfolding "Book" of self-manifestation as the root of all knowledge, opens up the infinite possibilities offered by language for talking and thinking about “reality.” More specifically, linguistic construction and meaning formation are colored by an existential dimension all but hidden from formal logic, which other Islamic philosophers have sought to adapt and transform to a new age.

Here is what the experts are saying about this book:

"Anthony Shaker has written a book that is at once searching, subtle and assured and one that promises to have a powerful impact on the way in which later Islamic philosophy [after Ghazâlî] will be studied and discussed for many years to come."

"Dr. Shaker sets his inquiry within the widest possible philosophical context. He views his subject not simply as an isolated instance of an obscure system of thought in a remote corner of the Islamic world of the thirteenth century but situates it firmly within the traditions of philosophy east and west. [In his introduction] he draws on both Hegel and Heidegger, as well as other thinkers, to pinpoint and elaborate al-Qunawi’s genuine relevance to the development of philosophy in the largest sense."

Prof. Eric Ormsby

IIS (London, UK)

About the Author

Anthony F. Shaker holds a PhD from the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University. He has translated three important books by Ghazâlî and authors works in both Islamic and Western European philosophy and on contemporary political developments. He lives with his wife in Quebec, Canada, where he is an independent writer, researcher and editorial consultant.