The Idea
This claim holds that the triumph of the jurists over the philosophers was not merely an event in the history of ideas, but a decisive turning point that weakened philosophical rationalism and excluded it from the Islamic sphere. The point here is not to favor one group over another, but to describe a historical outcome that resulted in narrowing the space for free inquiry. The triumph is understood as a shift in the balance of epistemic authority.
Condensed Formulation
The triumph of the jurists over the philosophers: eliminates philosophical rationalism in Islam
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim lies at the heart of the book’s structure because it explains how the Islamic world moved from broad rational possibilities to a gradual closure. It links religious authority to the decline of philosophy and makes the conflict between jurisprudence and philosophy a key to reading a long history of exclusion. In this way, the claim serves a broader explanation of the waning of critique.
Why It Matters
The importance of this claim lies in the way it clarifies Arkoun’s view of the history of Islamic thought: not as a fixed or complete history, but as a history of struggle over the public realm of knowledge. It also helps explain why Arkoun links critical reason to the need to revisit the power structures embedded in the tradition.
Brief Evidence
The triumph of the jurists over the philosophers led to the elimination of philosophical rationalism The text states that the triumph of the jurists over the philosophers led to the elimination of philosophical rationalism
Reading Questions
- How does the text understand the phrase the triumph of the jurists: as a moral judgment or as a historical description?
- What relationship does this claim establish between religious authority and the decline of philosophy?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location within the book’s material.