Policy Perspectives

The Future of Knowledge

Theory
Seema Arif

 

Although my heart made such haste in this desert,

It did not know a single hair, but took to hair splitting.

In my heart shone a thousand suns,

Yet it never discovered completely the nature of a single atom.

– Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Abstract
[In this conceptual research paper, the author analyzes the famous evolutionary biologist EO Wilson’s theory of “Consilience.” The 21st century knowledge paradigms are rapidly shifting; they are more inclined towards ‘synthesis’ of knowledge, which is currently spread wide across a great many disciplines. However, this synthesis process is neither dramatic nor spontaneous; it involves more scientific labor and precise and carefully focused attention than analysis because we are in the process of decoding the wisdom of our age. Each knowledge document is the heritage of future generations. The Secular West, following extreme Darwinism, has constantly opposed the inculcation of the spiritual element in the body of knowledge. This movement, which poses a fundamental threat to current and future Muslim thought, has been resisted from within the West as well, as many examples from Western spiritual literature testify. This paper is an attempt to highlight the East-West gap on the issue of knowledge theory, and to assess how far Muslims have drifted from their traditional Muslim thinking and knowledge. It asks how we, the Muslims, will choose to store our ancient wisdom for our future generations? The challenge is very bold and clear and open to every rational feeling and thinking Muslim. – Author]

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