NMC103H1 â LEC NOTES
NMC103H1 – LEC NOTES Familiar terms: Muslim—refers to adherent of Islam as religion/tradition Islamdom—neologism; on pattern of “Christendom” Another term on the rise: Islamicate—neologism; on pattern of “Italianate”; refers to entire cultural complex associated w/ Islam - will probably come across it in readings* Islamicist & Islamist – used to be used interchangeably - the former is a person who studies Islam professionally - latter: Muslim “fundamentalist” ideologue or activist (more common) -
story of blind man and elephant told by Buddha (parable) to illustrate differences in theological perceptions – are contain aspect of truth, but not as a whole
Talking about Islamic world as a civilization formation: Civilization = the larger background; what we take for granted - social, political organization; religious or ideological orientation; lingua franca (common language); historical record; collective memory; shared worldview (Weltanschauung – “the way each civilization views its world [in human history]) - part of that shared worldview is “exclusivity” – true of Ancient Greeks and Roman civilization (coining of term “barbaros”) o e.g. Arabic view – people who don’t speak Arabic = “mute” - How do we know about civilizations? o any surviving specimens of solidified codification (medium) = evidence o any kinds of inscribed monuments = themselves, historical records of civilizations, which transmit shared knowledge and create cultural continuity What is “Culture”? = what is consciously practiced or “cultivated” - What do we cultivate? o cuisine, food (headgear in particular – will be thoroughly discussed and explored later*) *in older times, what you wore determined individual social and economic status*, manners, local language or dialect, religion/local variant thereof
= A particular variant w/in a civilization discussed as “the local production of meaning” Civilization had much to do w/ its topography and geography – determined where civilizations developed. All great civilizations formed in river valleys – E.g. Egypt w/the Nile, Mesopatamia (literally “the land between two rivers”-- Tigris and Euphrates) Mesopatamia – starting place of 3 major monotheistic religions; tremendous importance in understanding Islamic civilization Indus Valley – birthplace of many ascetical movements, birthplace of Vedas • • • •
Therefore, no water = no civilization All civilizations in pre-modern times were Agrarian based – based on agricultural activity - therefore, they were sedentary civilizations Nomads never formed civilizations – formed process of civilizations and helped develop civilizations – because they were not sedentary Not until Islamics moved into Mesopatamia and took over the civilizations dwelling there did it begin to form into a civilization.
What do we study in Islamic civilization? • The highlights – peasantry (common people) often unrecorded, aside from in an oblique way, in history *as a result, much left unsaid about their lives http://www.searchtruth.com – has full Qur’an text and religious traditions of Islam
story of blind man and elephant told by Buddha (parable) to illustrate differences in theological perceptions – are contain aspect of truth, but not as a whole
Talking about Islamic world as a civilization formation: Civilization = the larger background; what we take for granted - social, political organization; religious or ideological orientation; lingua franca (common language); historical record; collective memory; shared worldview (Weltanschauung – “the way each civilization views its world [in human history]) - part of that shared worldview is “exclusivity” – true of Ancient Greeks and Roman civilization (coining of term “barbaros”) o e.g. Arabic view – people who don’t speak Arabic = “mute” - How do we know about civilizations? o any surviving specimens of solidified codification (medium) = evidence o any kinds of inscribed monuments = themselves, historical records of civilizations, which transmit shared knowledge and create cultural continuity What is “Culture”? = what is consciously practiced or “cultivated” - What do we cultivate? o cuisine, food (headgear in particular – will be thoroughly discussed and explored later*) *in older times, what you wore determined individual social and economic status*, manners, local language or dialect, religion/local variant thereof
= A particular variant w/in a civilization discussed as “the local production of meaning” Civilization had much to do w/ its topography and geography – determined where civilizations developed. All great civilizations formed in river valleys – E.g. Egypt w/the Nile, Mesopatamia (literally “the land between two rivers”-- Tigris and Euphrates) Mesopatamia – starting place of 3 major monotheistic religions; tremendous importance in understanding Islamic civilization Indus Valley – birthplace of many ascetical movements, birthplace of Vedas • • • •
Therefore, no water = no civilization All civilizations in pre-modern times were Agrarian based – based on agricultural activity - therefore, they were sedentary civilizations Nomads never formed civilizations – formed process of civilizations and helped develop civilizations – because they were not sedentary Not until Islamics moved into Mesopatamia and took over the civilizations dwelling there did it begin to form into a civilization.
What do we study in Islamic civilization? • The highlights – peasantry (common people) often unrecorded, aside from in an oblique way, in history *as a result, much left unsaid about their lives http://www.searchtruth.com – has full Qur’an text and religious traditions of Islam
