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Islam and Modern Democracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

Fauzi M. Najjar
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Extract

Not since the tenth century has Islam been confronted with a greater challenge of self-examination than in the first half of the twentieth century. During its early expansion Islam came into contact with Greek science and philosophy. Its failure to adapt itself to Greek science and philosophy, and to integrate Greek methods and teachings into its own, determined the character of subsequent Islamic thought and institutions. Between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries, Islamic society lapsed into scientific and cultural stagnation, accompanied by political corruption and social disorganization. The Muslims transmitted Greek science and philosophy to Europe without having been influenced by it to any great degree. Whereas Western Europe accepted the Greek heritage and tried to harmonize it with Christian teachings, the Muslim world remained essentially unaffected. Assuming a negative attitude, it finally rejected Greek thought and learning as heretical and, in self-defense, returned to literalism and orthodoxy. Ever since, Islam has been dominated by the theology of its medieval ulama or doctors of Islamic Law.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , April 1958 , pp. 164 - 180
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1958

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References

1 In the Arab World Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt (until 1952) have adopted a British-type constitutional monarchy, whereas Syria and Lebanon are republics after the French pattern.

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