I was just reading about AlHazen (Ibn Al-Hatham). From almost every source I've read from, people agree that despite being virtually unknown in the modern West, he was an extremely important figure in the history and philosophy of science, as his experiments in optics were essentially the first step in the development of what would one day be called the scientific method. Black science man despite being really critical to religion (including Islam), he admits that "Ibn al-Haytham was the first person ever to set down the rules of science."
Alhazen's key ideology was that God made the world difficult to understand and that skepticism and critical analysis were the only way to illuminate God's creation. He is thus an excellent counterexample to the idea that religious belief necessarily stifles scientific thought
My question is, why didn't we learn more about this, and if Muslims (this guy was a devout Muslim and Arab from Cairo, not a Persian) were like this in the early years of Islam, what the fuck happened? They are completely horseshit when it comes to science now. Most of them are anti-science. How did they fuck up so badly?
You know that Muslims became extremely anti-Western, and anti- science after the invasion of Palestine, and even more after the Irak intervention by the USA.
Jackson Long
Hmm didn't think about it
I've been doing some research, it seems there were always anti-science extremists, even during the time of Islam's pro-science age. These people were mostly ignored and unheard of, but when Baghdad got sacked by Mongols, and libraries were burnt and scientists were slaughtered, these people came out and went "See, this is God's punishment for studying science, instead of praying and worshipping him" Then when the exact same thing happened in Cordoba, this further consolidated the anti-science position.
Luke Thomas
Intresting, I will try to find some information about the events you talk about. But i think there is another explanation : "Islam's pro-science age" took place at a moment where Western Science was almost non existent, due to the catholics censoring everything which wasn't in accordance with the Bible. So the Muslim scientists of this period (XIe to XIVe) are better known that those of other periods.Even tho there has been Muslim scientists at any period. But I really think that the fact that anti-science is so importanat in Islam is something very recent.
William Anderson
In the early days of Islam the middle East was one of the main driving forces in scientific advancement. Hell, Islam used to be largely secular (from what I hear) as well. The Americans revived the dying sect of Islam known as salafi jihadism during the cold war in the form of the mujahedeen to fight the Soviets for them. This backfired on them when Osama bin Laden, a man they once called a freedom fighting hero, and receiving formal combat training with the CIA, got pissed off at them for not getting the fuck out of the middle East once the Soviets left and declared the west his enemy. The mujahedeen broke up into the Taliban and al Qa'ida, al Qa'ida went on to fight the Americans and Osama lead them in this charge. Al Qa'ida has since splintered off into smaller groups like Isis. >Tl;dr the Americans are responsible for radical Islam and continue to financially prop up Saudi Arabia, a salafi jihadist nation who spreads their ideology prolifically
Angel Jackson
They ran out of literate peoples to loot and pass off spoils as their own
It is a we wuz complex
Andrew Allen
OP isn't talking about the past 50 years moron.
Aiden Scott
>, what the fuck happened? They are completely horseshit when it comes to science now. Most of them are anti-science. How did they fuck up so badly? Except he literally asked about modern islam
William Sanders
If he is asking why Islam is now anti-science , he is asking a question which must be answered with modern history.
Oliver Harris
islam is not anti-science, it has never been, and never will be. I don't know where the fuck this misconception comes from though.
