Islamic alternatives to the secular morality embedded in modern economics
Other Title(s)
البدائل الإسلامية للأخلاقيات العلمانية المتضمنة في الاقتصاد الحديث
Author
Source
Journal of King Abdulaziz University : Islamic Economics
Issue
Vol. 34, Issue 2 (31 Jul. 2021), pp.83-100, 18 p.
Publisher
King Abdulaziz University Scientific Publishing Center
Publication Date
2021-07-31
Country of Publication
Saudi Arabia
No. of Pages
18
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Economics, as a distinct discipline started out as a branch of moral philosophy.
Early in the 20th century, logical positivists argued that science is the only source of knowledge, and values are not part of science.
The desire to make humanities ‘scientific’ led to the creation of the ‘social sciences’, which claimed to be objective and value-free.
In fact, values are inevitably involved in the study of human societies.
Hence, when the social scientists could not remove them, they buried them into the foundations.
In economics, ‘rational’ behavior was defined to be the pursuit of pleasure, without any explicit recognition or acknowledgement of the value judgment involved.
Similarly, the scarcity foundations of modern economics also conceal many value judgements.
In particular, secular morality at the heart of economics makes pursuit of pleasure and profits the goal of life for all rational human beings.
Once we recognize the secular moral principles on which modern economics is built, the path to creating an Islamic alternative becomes clear.
An Islamic society is built on the foundations of cooperation, generosity, and social responsibility, in stark contrast to the competition, greed, and individualism which are the basis of capitalist societies.
Islam has a well-developed moral philosophy to deal with economic affairs, embodied in the science of fiqh (jurisprudence) as it has developed over the centuries.
By rejecting the secular morality built into the foundations of modern economics, we can create a radical alternative based on the moral foundations of Islam.
The modern world offers many new challenges; environments radically different from those faced by our elders.
Thus, building a revolutionary Islamic economics requires ijtihad (diligent and creative research) to use the well-developed methodology of fiqh creatively to find new solutions to the deep and complex problems currently facing humanity and the planet.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Zaman, Asad. 2021. Islamic alternatives to the secular morality embedded in modern economics. Journal of King Abdulaziz University : Islamic Economics،Vol. 34, no. 2, pp.83-100.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1331597
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Zaman, Asad. Islamic alternatives to the secular morality embedded in modern economics. Journal of King Abdulaziz University : Islamic Economics Vol. 34, no. 2 (Jul. 2021), pp.83-100.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1331597
American Medical Association (AMA)
Zaman, Asad. Islamic alternatives to the secular morality embedded in modern economics. Journal of King Abdulaziz University : Islamic Economics. 2021. Vol. 34, no. 2, pp.83-100.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1331597
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references : p. 98-99
Record ID
BIM-1331597