CSI Monday Majlis : Amir Saemi
Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond
The CSI Monday Majlis is a Monday evening, online event, where invited speakers present on aspects of their current research
| An Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies research event | |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 May 2025 |
| Time | 17:00 to 18:30 |
| Place | online |
| Provider | Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies |
Event details
Pleease register for this event using the link below
https://Universityofexeter.zoom.us/meeting/register/mGibfkYEQoi82sm_vBynvw
Amir Saemi holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in moral philosophy, philosophy of religion, and Islamic philosophy. His research has been published in leading philosophy journals, including Ethics, Philosophical Quarterly, Analysis, and the Canadian Journal of Philosophy.
In addition to his philosophical work, Saemi earned a PhD in Electronics and Telecommunications from the University of Limoges, Xlim CNRS 6172 (France), and has published in esteemed electrical engineering journals.
He is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM) and has been an adjunct professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, Rowan University, The College of New Jersey, and Temple University. His latest book, Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil (Oxford University Press, 2024), examines the tension between Scripture and morality.
Abstract
If God commanded something against your moral conscience, how would you respond? Many believers grapple with this tension, taking Scripture as divine while encountering passages that conflict with their moral sensibilities—what we can call the problem of divinely prescribed evil.
Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond examines how major Islamic traditions—the Ashʿarites, Muʿtazilites, and falāsifa—adopted a Scripture-first approach, prioritizing revelation over independent moral judgment. In contrast, Ethics-first approaches defend the reliability of moral reasoning, even in the face of skeptical challenges from Scripture-first theorists.
Building on insights from Islamic thought, Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond develops two Ethics-first solutions, showing how theists can uphold both Scripture’s divinity and their moral convictions. The book offers a bold framework for those—Muslim or otherwise—who take both faith and morality seriously.
