A victory for the mind and the future ... A “house” for philosophy in the UAE

A victory for the mind and the future ...  A “house” for philosophy in the UAE
August 17, 2022 By Dr Ali Bin Tamim

I belong to a generation that was introduced to philosophy in early school grades. Discussions about delicate issues such as existence, human nature, and the views of different philosophical schools still resonate in my memory. They were difficult questions but the teaching method was very easy to understand. During our philosophical lessons, we did not experience any of the concerns that were raised by some. These people must be the ones demanding the cancellation of philosophy classes from our curricula and distorting their image in the minds of our children. This can be concluded from Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi's valuable book "The Muslim Brotherhood in the United Arab Emirates: Miscalculations", which details the journey of Muslim Brotherhood in the UAE and its attempts to influence curricula and teaching methods. There is no doubt that philosophy was their main target as it is an abstract rational approach and thinking method that allows students to form their own opinions, rather than just follow the herd. The great pioneer of enlightenment, Taha Hussein, became aware of this important role of philosophy early on, when he wrote his book Leaders of Thought in 1925 in an attempt to define philosophy and its symbols. He argued that philosophy is "the means for man to conceive the facts as they are and judge them according to their nature", which can be explained as the means for people to imagine the facts and judge them with their minds, rather than with their imagination, senses, and feelings. Consequently, philosophy is a way of reason and a tool for understanding the world and, more importantly, for achieving the development that Taha Hussein refered to as the basis that served in building the Greek and Arab civilizations. Therefore, it is no surprise that philosophy is the first target of civilization and thought haters since the absence of reasoning opens the door to excommunication and is the basis for growing hatred on ideological grounds. This explains the terrorist Brotherhood's relentless quest to fight every serious intellectual attempt and every proposition deriving from sophisticated rational thinking. It is the maker of excommunication that is used as a punishment for thinking, as the great thinker Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd explained in his important book, Thinking in the Time of Excommunication. Although philosophy has always been absent from our curricula in one way or another, thus affecting its impact on publishing houses, cultural institutions, and newspapers, it never actually left social, cultural, and intellectual movements in the UAE. If you were to take a look at the list of important publications produced by the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, you would be surprised by the multitude of philosophical and young adult books, known to be the leaders of philosophy around the world. Furthermore, since its inception, the Kalima Project for Translation has added an important collection of books on philosophy, thinking, and the critical mind. The UAE is making major efforts to restore Arab academic scientific interest in philosophy. Some of these efforts we had mentioned in a previous article on the initiative for restoring philosophy teaching in schools, including the Bachelor of Arts program in Philosophy and Ethics launched by Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities, as well as Mufakiru Al Emarat initiative launched by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research. In fact, the UAE's many achievements in this field are too great to fit in one article. However, we cannot omit to mention the great initiative, Philosophy House, launched by the Emirate of Fujairah, with a special attention from Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Fujairah. It is an institution of both scientific and administrative aspects, established in 2021 to play a vital role in spreading philosophical awareness, not only in the UAE, but in the entire Arab world. Within one year, the organizers and participants in this project were able to release a great deal of products that align with the intellectual aspirations and serve the UAE's strategy aimed at developing the human mind and answering questions about the present and the future. During the first year of its inception, the Philosophy House celebrated World Philosophy Day by launching the Fujairah International Conference of Philosophy, the first of its kind in the Gulf region, under the title Philosophy and the Present, where a group of Arab and international philosophers participated. It discussed questions related to the roots of Arab philosophical awareness as well as the publication of books, translations, and philosophical pamphlets, the organization of monthly philosophical courses that target all groups, and the issuance of a quarterly magazine entitled Philosophy House to serve as the voice of Arab philosophers, in addition to the establishment of the Fujairah Philosophical Circle to discuss the relationship between Arab and global philosophies. This extraordinary role of the Philosophy House in Fujairah brings philosophy from the private to the public world, transforming it into a daily content for children, young people, mothers, teachers, and anyone else interested to help them think rationally and develop their aesthetic and cognitive awareness. Furthermore, it offers programs for children to teach them philosophical thinking with innovative methods and attractive activities. It trains teachers to teach students philosophical thinking in schools, and prepares courses for mothers to enable them to deal with children's philosophical questions in all fields. Arab history is filled with important philosophy figures whose value was discovered in the West even prior than in the East, namely Ibn Rushd, Ibn Khaldun, Ya?q?b ibn ?Is??q al-Kind?, Avempace, Ibn al-Haytham, and Ibn Tufail. And if this is the past that shaped out our present, what does the future hold for us? The future is what the UAE and Arab Gulf countries are currently focused on through several platforms and creative initiatives, including the Philosophy House and others. The future is what we see in education strategies that encourage philosophy teaching with a focus on its cognitive symbolism, as the mother of science, as a key source for the development of the mind. This interest in philosophy at the UAE level extends to other countries in the Gulf. Since I previously mentioned that philosophy courses will be resumed in Saudi schools, it is equally important to note the establishment of the first philosophical association in Riyadh, the Philosophy Association, which aims at enabling individuals interested in philosophy to engage with their philosophical communities and contribute to the growth of philosophical culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This interest in philosophy in the Gulf countries is to be celebrated indeed because we cannot face the future without a critical mind.... we cannot march towards tomorrow without rational thinking... we cannot build a society without free consciousness... and we cannot fight terrorism without dismantling the false speech of excommunication. All of this is supported by the definition of philosophy presented by the famous British philosopher Bertrand Russell, as "enlarging our conception of what is possible, enriching our intellectual imagination and diminishing the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great." Therefore, in our quest to learn and change the future, we must learn philosophy. The educational role played by philosophy cannot be neglected, including its promotion of pluralism, rejection of intolerance, and spread of a culture of tolerance and coexistence. It is an essential part of the UAE's strategy to develop a spirit of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and positive understanding among all cultures and beliefs. This was asserted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Head of State, when he stressed that "the UAE, through its policy and model in the region, sends positive messages about the need for tolerance, coexistence, and joint development to address the many challenges we are facing at the international level." Since the pillars of civilizations are science and education, any civilization within this context is built from a philosophy that nurtures these two aspects. Perhaps the Greek and Arab civilizations serve as the best examples. For instance, the UAE's current accomplishments in all areas it excels at, from space exploration to comprehensive technological, cognitive, and educational progress are indicative of a country's strategy that recognizes the true significance of the philosophy of the future and the importance of building a conscious thinking mind and of teaching philosophy in its educational and pedagogical curricula. This interest in philosophy in the UAE and other Gulf countries, in addition to their interest in extending this intellectual influence to the Arab world, indicates a genuine desire to establish a civilization based on enhancing the value of rational awareness and knowledge. This is what the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, may God rest his soul, asserted with the following, "Educating and educating people is in and of itself a great wealth that we cherish. Science is a wealth, and we build the future on a scientific basis.." That is why we want to learn, that is why we love philosophy, and that is why we march confidently, positively, and openly towards the future.

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