According to conventional Western view of history, under the influence of the ancient Greek and Roman culture between the 14th and the 16th centuries in Europe there was period of the Renaissance – a »rebirth« of creative human spirit as well as science and art. This view implies that during a »darkness« of the Middle Ages the ancient Greek thought did not exist. However, at least to a certain extent this view has been a construct as in the Middle Ages Europe was already familiar with the Greek philosophy. Namely, in the 13th century Latin translations of the »commentaries« of Aristotle's works, written by the greatest Aristotelian of Islam Ibn Rushd (Averroes), came to Europe via universities of Naples and Bologna. Consequently, thanks to the Sholastics late medieval Christendom incorporated Aristotelian reason. Thus, the Arab (Muslim) World was crucially contributing to return of the ancient Greek thought to Europe. Certainly, this was not coincidental since between the 8th and the 12th centuries the Arab World was systematically collecting, translating and considerably improving Greek scientific and philosophical works thereby preserving and developing the latter as heritage of mankind.
The aim of the course »Islamic Philosophy and Theology and the West« is to enable students to understand development of philosophical and theological currents in the Muslim World and their influence on the West. Students will gain insight into Islamic Neoplatonism, which has been characteristic and continuous school of Islamic philosophy, as it was developing during different historical periods and in different geographical locations of the Muslim World, on the basis of the works of al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Rushd, al-Suhrawardi, and al-Shirazi (Mulla Sadra). In addition, students will grasp development of Islamic theology, from the rationalist Mutazilite school to the Asharite school. On the basis of the work of the greatest theologian of Islam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali the latter has become the orthodox Sunni doctrine. Furthermore, students will understand Islamic Anti-rationalist and Literalist strand, which has been rejecting both philosophy and theology. In this regard, works of Ibn Taymiyah, who for the first time called for a return to the ways of the »pious ancestors« (al-salaf al-salih), and of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab have been especially important. For example, one needs to know the literalist strand in order to grasp today's phenomenon of the ultra-radical Islamist group »Islamic State«. Finally, students will be familiar with contemporary Islamic philosophical and theological developments – Modernism, Fundamentalism, and Secularism, also in the context of contemporary debates regarding influence of Western socio-economic (capitalism, individualism, neoliberalism) and security (military interventions) policies on the Muslim World.