The Sacralization of the Social Sciences : a Critique of an Emerging Theme in Academic Discourse / La Sacralisation des sciences sociales : la critique d'une nouvelle notion dans le discours académique - article ; n°1 ; vol.91, pg 89-111

Syed Faridalatas

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Archives des sciences sociales des religions - Année 1995 - Volume 91 - Numéro 1 - Pages 89-111
The aim of this paper is to make some critical remarks on the idea of Islamic social science. First, I discuss the question of Islamic social science in the context of the call to the indigenization of the social sciences in Third World academia. In the second and third sections I assess Islamic social science by looking at the cases of Islamic economics and the Islamization of knowledge project. I argue that Islamic economics remains trapped within a modernist discourse. Furthermore, the Islamization of knowledge project is still vaguely conceived as far as the social sciences are concerned and remains open to charges of nativism. I then proceed in the fourth section to discuss the relationship between values and the social sciences in Islam. In the fifth section I go on to consider ibn Khaldun as an exemplar for the social sciences in contemporary Islam. The essay concludes with the assertion that Islamic economics and Islamized social science are not the alternatives to modernist discourse that they would claim to be.
L'objectif de ce texte est de faire quelques remarques critiques au sujet de la notion de science sociale islamique. J'y commence par poser le problème de la science sociale islamique dans le contexte de l'appel à l'indigénisation des sciences sociales dans les universités du Tiers Monde. Dans les deuxième et troisième parties, j'analyse cette science sociale islamique à travers les exemples des sciences économiques islamiques et du projet d'islamisation du savoir. J'y montre que les sciences économiques islamiques restent prisonnières d'un discours moderniste. En outre, le projet d'islamisation du savoir n'est que vaguement défini en ce qui concerne le champ des sciences sociales et prête le flanc aux accusations de nativisme. Dans la quatrième partie, j'étudie les relations entre les valeurs et les sciences sociales dans l'Islam contemporain. L'essai conclut avec l'affirmation que l'économie islamique et la science sociale islamisée ne sont pas les alternatives qu'elles prétendent être au discours moderniste.
El autor de este articula comenta y critica la idea de « ciencia social islámica ». Primero, estudia la cuestión de una « Ciencia Social Isámica » en el contexto de la llamada en favor de la « indigenización » de las ciencias sociales en los medios académicos del Tercer Mundo. En la segunda y la tercera sección, el autor evalua la « Ciencia Social Islámica » con los casos particulares de la « Ciencia Económica Islámica » y el « Proyecto de Islamizacion del Conocimiento ». Demuestra que el discurso económico islámico queda estructurado por un discurso modernista. Más adelante, el « Proyecto de Islamizacion del Conocimiento » queda poco claro cientificamente, y se le puede acusar de « nativismo ». En la cuarta seccion, se plantea la cuestión entre los valores y las Ciencias Sociales en el Islam. En la quinta sección, se considera a Ibn Khaldun como un ejemplo para la ciencias sociales en el Islam contemporáneo. El ensayo concluye con la affirmacion que la economia islâmica y la ciencia sociale islamizada no son las alternativas que pretenden al discurso modernisto.
23 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

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• Publié par: Archives-des-sciences-sociales-des-religions
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1995
• Nombre de lectures: 25
• Langue: Français
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Syed Farid Alatas
The Sacralization of the Social Sciences : a Critique of an
Emerging Theme in Academic Discourse / La Sacralisation des
sciences sociales : la critique d'une nouvelle notion dans le
discours académique
In: Archives des sciences sociales des religions. N. 91, 1995. pp. 89-111.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Alatas Syed Farid. The Sacralization of the Social Sciences : a Critique of an Emerging Theme in Academic Discourse / La
Sacralisation des sciences sociales : la critique d'une nouvelle notion dans le discours académique. In: Archives des sciences
sociales des religions. N. 91, 1995. pp. 89-111.
doi : 10.3406/assr.1995.996
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/assr_0335-5985_1995_num_91_1_996Résumé
L'objectif de ce texte est de faire quelques remarques critiques au sujet de la notion de "science sociale
islamique". J'y commence par poser le problème de la "science sociale" islamique dans le contexte de
l'appel à "l'indigénisation" des sciences sociales dans les universités du Tiers Monde. Dans les
deuxième et troisième parties, j'analyse cette "science sociale islamique" à travers les exemples des
sciences économiques islamiques et du projet d'islamisation du savoir. J'y montre que les sciences
économiques islamiques restent prisonnières d'un discours moderniste. En outre, le projet d'islamisation
du savoir n'est que vaguement défini en ce qui concerne le champ des sciences sociales et prête le
flanc aux accusations de "nativisme". Dans la quatrième partie, j'étudie les relations entre les valeurs et
les sciences sociales dans l'Islam contemporain. L'essai conclut avec l'affirmation que l'économie
islamique et la science sociale islamisée ne sont pas les alternatives qu'elles prétendent être au
discours moderniste.
Resumen
El autor de este articula comenta y critica la idea de « ciencia social islámica ». Primero, estudia la
cuestión de una « Ciencia Social Isámica » en el contexto de la llamada en favor de la « indigenización
» de las ciencias sociales en los medios académicos del Tercer Mundo. En la segunda y la tercera
sección, el autor evalua la « Ciencia Social Islámica » con los casos particulares de la « Ciencia
Económica Islámica » y el « Proyecto de Islamizacion del Conocimiento ». Demuestra que el discurso
económico islámico queda estructurado por un discurso modernista. Más adelante, el « Proyecto de
Islamizacion del Conocimiento » queda poco claro cientificamente, y se le puede acusar de « nativismo
». En la cuarta seccion, se plantea la cuestión entre los valores y las Ciencias Sociales en el Islam. En
la quinta sección, se considera a Ibn Khaldun como un ejemplo para la ciencias sociales en el Islam
contemporáneo. El ensayo concluye con la affirmacion que la economia islâmica y la ciencia sociale
islamizada no son las alternativas que pretenden al discurso modernisto.
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to make some critical remarks on the idea of "Islamic social science". First, I
discuss the question of "Islamic social science" in the context of the call to the indigenization of the
social sciences in Third World academia. In the second and third sections I assess "Islamic social
science" by looking at the cases of Islamic economics and the Islamization of knowledge project. I argue
that Islamic economics remains trapped within a modernist discourse. Furthermore, the Islamization of
knowledge project is still vaguely conceived as far as the social sciences are concerned and remains
open to charges of nativism. I then proceed in the fourth section to discuss the relationship between
values and the social sciences in Islam. In the fifth section I go on to consider ibn Khaldun as an
exemplar for the social in contemporary Islam. The essay concludes with the assertion that
Islamic economics and Islamized social science are not the alternatives to modernist discourse that they
would claim to be.Arch de Sc soc des Rel. 1995 91 juillet-septembre 89-111
Syed Farid ALATAS
THE SACRALIZATION OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
CRITIQUE OF AN EMERGING THEME
IN ACADEMIC DISCOURSE
INTRODUCTION
This paper critically evaluates the idea of Islamic social science in terms
of its expression in Islamic economics and more recently in the Islamization
of knowledge project was conceived of in the 1930s while
the beginnings of the Islamization of knowledge project can be traced to the
1970s Islamic social science seeks to bring back religious experience and
spirituality into knowledge by means of the sacralization of academic dis
course The process of secularization in the West is seen to have rendered
Muslim scholars incapable of comprehending the causes of the problems that
beset Muslim society 1)
The 1970s also witnessed the call to the indigenization of the social
sciences in the Third World as result of dissatisfaction with what was per
ceived as irrelevant social scientific theories and methods and faulty para
digms of development What Islamic social science and the call to
indigenization have in common is the critique of modernist discourses of man
and society and the rejection of the universality of social scientific concepts
that originated in the West
In what follows discuss the question of the Islamization of the social
sciences in the context of the call to the indigenization of the social sciences
among Third World scholars This is followed by an attempt to assess the
Islamic social sciences by looking at the cases of Islamic economics and
the Islamization of knowledge project Here the argument is that Islamic
economics has not succeeded in extricating itself from modernist discourse
of development although it is countermodernist in tone Furthermore argue
that the Islamization of knowledge project is still vaguely conceived as far
as the social sciences are concerned and that it remains open to charges of
nativism In later sections turn to the relationship between values and the
social sciences in Islam and to the consideration of ibn Khaldun as an ex
emplar for the social sciences in contemporary Islam
89 ARCHIVES DE SCIENCES SOCIALES DES RELIGIONS
The call to indigenization
The institutional and theoretical dependence of scholars in developing
societies on Western social science has resulted in what has been referred to
as the captive mind The phenomenon of the captive mind refers to way
of thinking that is dominated by Western thought in an imitative and uncritical
manner Among the characteristics of the captive mind are the inability to be
creative and raise original problems the inability to devise original analytical
methods and alienation from the main issues of indigenous society This
is manifested in the areas of problem selection choice of research methods
as well as the suggestion of solutions and policies It is also manifested at
the metatheoretical and epistemological levels as well as at the levels of theory
and substantive work There is no intention here to convey the impression
that Western knowledge is of no use to the Third World What is regarded
as problem is the uncritical imitation of the social sciences in the Third
World
The problem of mental captivity became all the more alarming once there
was the recognition that development theory is in state of crisis having
reached an impasse This state of affairs has brought forth various reactions
from scholars in the Third World including the call to the indigenization of
the social sciences 5)
The call to indigenization refers to the idea that social scientific theories
concepts and methodologies can be derived from the histories cultures and
experiences of the various non-Western civilizations Such social sciences
are meant to be contribution to universal social science
The call to indigenization is call to go beyond simply tackling local
problems with sporadic attempts to modify Western concepts and theories
The call to suggests that it is possible to create bodies of know
ledge based on the indigenous cultures in the same way that Western social
science is based on Western historical experiences and cultural practices For
example the organic image of society that forms the basis of functional evo
lutionism and underlies wide variety of theories of development has its
roots in Plato The organicist metaphor is deeply entrenched in Western social
science What are the possibilities for social science traditions rooted in
various non-Western philosophies epistemologies histories and cultural prac
tices
An interesting attempt to indigenize social science comes from the work
of Batra In discussing the history of Iranian civilization Batra applies an
indigenous theory of social cycle According to this theory society is divided
into four types of people the categories of which correspond to the four group
ings of the caste system They are the Shudras Khatris Vipras and Vashyas
The social action in each group is based on character