Islam, Humanism and Ecology

In various articles in this website and elsewhere, I have been developing a form of Islamic thinking I call Process Islam. The most systematic articulation so far is in

[ A Process Interpretation of Islam ]

, but all of the articles above are important to my ongoing project. In many contexts I speak of Process Islam as a form of Islamic Humanism. I realize, however, that the phrase can be misleading, if the word "humanism" suggests a Promethean perspective saying that "man is the measure of all things." I realize as well that for many process thinkers, with their ecological orientation, the phrase can also suggest a human-centered approach that neglects the value of the more-than-human world. I do not intend the word to have these connotations. In Islam the Qur'an itself speaks of the whole of creation on the analogy of a tree of life, or a single life cell, emerging from and returning to its divine source. An Islamic Humanism will see human dignity and human rights as situated within, not apart from, this larger created whole, itself evolving through time, with each creature having (in the words of process theology) intrinsic value.  The short note below is intended to clarify this point, bringing my perspective into conversation with two Christian process thinkers, Bruce Epperly and John Cobb. (It is explained more thoroughly in my Masters thesis, just accepted at the University of Oslo.)  I hope this note and the works above bring Process Islam into conversation with the larger project of international process theology, which is to encourage the development of just and sustainable communities throughout the world, including the Islamic world.  (For more on this see

[ Ecological Civilization International ]

by Jay McDaniel and Philip Clayton.)  My sense is that Islam can make a powerful contribution to this deeply humane -- and, yes, biophilically humanistic -- hope.

From Traditional Humanism to Holistic  Humanism

The term humanism is multifaceted, and its meanings are legion. Further, every definition of humanism is shaped by historical conditions, places and times, and its uses, which have been intimately related to power structures of various kinds.

Christian humanism was developed within the framework of Christian values and principles.  Literary Humanism stands for a classical cultural movement devoted to the humanities. Secular Humanism is a modern non-theistic, atheistic-naturalistic-oriented philosophy, emerging out of eighteenth century enlightenment rationalism.  It includes a rejection of supernaturalism, "higher morality", and religious dogmas/doctrines.  Many people identify themselves as humanists, but few clarify its content. Because of its diverse expressions and contents reflective of different historical conditions and climates, I want to clear up in a straightforward way the term (humanism) from a Muslim process perspective.

The essence of humanism, as inspired by the Qur'anic scripture and Muhammad Iqbal`s process theological thought, has three emphases: (1) The innate dignity of humanity, (2), the universality of human rights, and (3) the interrelationality of all creation.  Let me briefly look into the first two points and further deal with the last point in more detail.

(1) Human dignity transcends the barriers of ethnocentrism, and encompasses humanity en masse, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age and religious or cultural belonging. The Quran asserts: "Verily, We have created all humans worthy of dignity and honour" (17:70). Prophet Muhammad, in his farewell address, categorically asserted that "there is no superiority of a black over a white or a white over a black. All of you humans belong to the same single stock." Furthermore, the dignity and honour of the human person finds it ultimate expression in that he or she is a subject of his or her own life, whose survival and well-being matters to himself or herself, and to God: he or she is a  "someone" and not "something". Stated differently, the human entity is an "end in itself," thus making collective identity`s such as family membership or citizenship, of subordinate character.

(2) Human rights are judicial principles employed against states in order to protect human beings from structural injustice, and are intimately related to humanity`s innate dignity. The prime function of humankind`s inalienable rights is the enhancement of the common good and also to furnish healthy environments in which human beings can actualise their remarkable potentialities. Just as human dignity encompasses the human species as a whole, so are basic human rights all-embracing, transcending the dogmatic model of we/they divide. This deleterious us/them distinction undermines the more inclusive way which emphasises the larger whole to which "we" and "they" belong, that is, the human species as an organic whole. In the Quran, we read the following verse, emphasizing humanity`s interrelationality: "The human species is but one single community" (10:19).

​(3) The last point is related to anthropocentrism. There have been, and still are, anthropocentric tendencies in most civilisations. Briefly stated, the notion of anthropocentrism was formulated by the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Protagoras, who asserted that "man (read: the human being) is the measure of all things". Furthermore, the dualism developed by Descartes juxtaposes the human mind to all things, even to human body.  This mode of dualism also reckons animals devoid of any subjectivity, thus turned over to science for objective study. The image that is affirmed on the basis of the homo mensura (man is the measure of all things) dictum and the Cartesian dualism quickly develops into human arrogance and reductionist attitude towards the planetary life as a whole. 

From a Muslim process perspective, humanism does not stand for human entities as the sole denizens of planet earth, or that the human dignity is the only fact to be reckoned with at the cost of the larger spectrum of non-human species and their well-being. This perspective easily mutates into an unfortunate view which is bereft of respect and profound concern for other living organisms and nature in her totality. The Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss (1912-2009), developed a view that runs counter to the longstanding traditional mode of anthropocentrism. He also coined the term "deep ecology."  One of the cardinal principles of deep ecology is that (1) every living entity have an intrinsic value of its own, and hence cannot be considered exclusively in instrumental terms, and, furthermore (2) that no human being has any right to cut down the richness and plurality of planetary creation, except in the interest to meet vital human needs.  The term "vital needs," according to Næss, implies that human beings can only satisfy their fundamental needs essential for their life on planet earth.

​This is a version of humanism which not only is human-centred, but a version which expands the circle of our ethical sensibilities with regards to other non-human creatures and the biosphere as well. In other words, this is a humanism which goes beyondanthropocentrism and embraces biocentric ethics. Christian process thinking, with its relational and contextual approach to human life (interdependence, experience, joy, sorrow, value), also recognises the importance of the kind of humanism as expressed above. Bruce Epperly, a Whiteheadian inspired process theologian, argues that "We cannot separate humankind from nature or the environment; we humans are embedded in the environment, both shaping and being shaped by the wider world beyond ourselves. Ecological, environmental, and planetary ethics are essential in our time because of our ability as humans to destroy our own species and threaten planetary life itself in unprecedented ways."
 
Epperly, in order to move beyond the anthropocentric stance held my many humanists, highlights the following saying of Jesus of Nazareth: "if a man is worth many sparrows then a sparrow`s worth is not zero". What Jesus` words signify is that non-human entities ought to be treated with respect by including them in our ethical decision-makings. They are worthy of our concern, and, as sentient organisms, cannot be manipulated or used only for human profit. Non-human species have a rich and complex life of their own with different levels of experience, which ought to enter into our own moral calculations before using them for human benefit. Again, asserts Epperly, "Species, flora and fauna, are valuable not just because we appreciate their beauty but because they experience some level of joy and sorrow". This means that, for process thinkers, other living beings with sentience (joy and sorrow) likewise have "intrinsic dignity". The profound recognition of the interdependence of all life, and the commonalities between homo sapiens and other living creatures, would lead us from human hauteur to deep respect for the biosphere and its diversity of animate beings. 

The Muslim process theologian Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) makes a remark conducive to the development of bioethics. He states that "All is holy ground. As the Prophet so beautifully puts it:  The whole of this earth is a mosque."  If the whole of the earth is a mosque, i.e., sacred, this could then lead to the conclusion that all of the denizens of earth, human as well as non-human, are sacred and interconnected (reflecting the presence of Divine energy and God`s unity). In other words, all life deserves our outmost respect by widening our horizons, thus including non-human actualities such as animal organisms and the nature in our decision-makings and policies in order to secure environments that promote the overall wellbeing of our dwelling place. There is also a hadith (traditions based on reports of the sayings of the Prophet of Islam) which reads: "Allah is kind only to those who are kind to His creations." Explained differently, we serve God by serving God`s creation by expanding our scope of moral/ethical responsibility, thus transcending the reductionist anthropocentrism that has for long dominated our ethical vantage point.  In this context, a passage of John Cobb deserves our attention. For Cobb, to believe that "a human life is 'of more value than many sparrows' (Matthew 10:31) does not warrant the conclusion that sparrows are worth nothing at all. Indeed, it presupposes the opposite. The Heavenly Father cares even for sparrows; how much more for human beings! This certainly means that people too should be concerned more about a human being than a sparrow. Much more! But it does not warrant the teaching that sparrows exist only as a means to human ends…God is pictured as loving the creatures and caring for them, not only human beings, but sparrows as well."
 
Cobb`s views can be infused into the Iqbalian vision of "all is holy ground", productive of paving the way for a humanism characterised by respect for humanity`s innate dignity combined with, "world-loyalty", as Whitehead calls it. A world-loyalty in which our self-interest is joined with our commitment to be creative partners with God in the quest for welfare and beauty for all creation.

To recapitulate, as have been explicated above, the foundational keys of an Islamic process humanism are as follows: (1) Every member of the human species is endowed with an intrinsic, hence inviolable, dignity, (2) the importance of human rights as universal/all-embracing (3) humanism, far from being purely human-centred, needs to be blended in respect and profound concern for the ecosphere and non-human species, i.e., in addition to humans having intrinsic value, so do other living beings.

I have chosen to identify this version of humanism as "Holistic Humanism", or "Biophilic Humanism" which is spacious enough to include all creatures, just as God includes every being in the Divine life (read: panentheism), thus making humans, possessing the highest degree of self-determination, God`s creative companions in healing and enhancing all life on earth.

First published on

http://www.jesusjazzbuddhism.org/from-traditional-to-holistic-humanism.html