PHILOSOPHY AND WESTERN THOUGHT: COMPARATIVE APPROACHES TO EPISTEMOLOGY AND ETHICS
Abstract
This study explores the comparative approaches to epistemology and ethics within Islamic philosophy and Western thought. Despite centuries of intellectual exchange, the two traditions are often studied in isolation, with minimal attention given to their intersections. Islamic philosophy emphasizes the integration of divine revelation and reason in acquiring knowledge, whereas Western thought traditionally prioritizes empirical evidence and rationalism. In ethics, both traditions share concerns regarding virtue and moral conduct but diverge in their foundations, with Islam grounding ethics in divine will and Western thought emphasizing human reason. The objective of this research is to compare these philosophical traditions, identifying both their points of convergence and divergence in epistemology and ethics. A qualitative research design is employed, focusing on textual analysis of key philosophical works from both traditions, including those of Avicenna, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. The findings reveal significant differences in how each tradition understands the nature of knowledge and morality, yet also highlight areas of overlap, particularly in virtue ethics. This study contributes to the broader discourse by promoting a comparative framework for understanding the similarities and differences between Islamic and Western thought. It concludes by emphasizing the potential for cross-traditional dialogue to enrich contemporary philosophical inquiry.
Full text article
References
Alexandrov, E. (2025). Emerson’s Affinities: Father of the American Mind. In Emersons Affinities Father of the American Mind (p. 371). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003603962
Ayatollahy, H. (2023). Islamic Approach to Philosophy of Religion Compared with the Western One. Journal of Philosophical Theological Research, 25(3), 63–82. https://doi.org/10.22091/jptr.2023.9679.2924
Ayd?n, M. (2025). A Utilitarian Islamic Jurist: Al-Sh??ib?. Religions, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16030290
Badarussyamsi. (2023). Reframing Occidentalism: Purpose, Construction of Scientific Paradigms, and Reconstruction of Post-Orientalism Knowledge. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 13(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.131.05
Cai, Z. (2025). Avicenna’s Theory of Intentionality. In Avicennas Theory of Intentionality (p. 161). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003631415
Coomaraswamy, A. K. (2024). THE TRANSFORMATION OF NATURE IN ART. In Transformation of Nature in Art (p. 254). https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004752412
Cruz, N. dos R. (2023a). The Olavo’s Thought about International New Order. Tempo E Argumento, 15(39). https://doi.org/10.5965/2175180315392023e0201
Cruz, N. dos R. (2023b). The Olavo’s Thought about International New Order. Tempo E Argumento, 15(39). https://doi.org/10.5965/2175180315392023e0201
Demir, O. N. (2023). The Rationality of Mu’tazilah and the Enlightenment Reason: A Comparison Based on the Relationship between Reason and Morality. Hitit Theology Journal, 22(1), 169–198. https://doi.org/10.14395/hid.1251911
Forte, F. (2025). Ibn Khaldun in Contemporary Moroccan Thought. Handbook of Oriental Studies Section 1 the Near and Middle East, 186(Query date: 2026-03-12 14:59:57), 308–328. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004519534_011
Haq, Z. U. (2023). Modern Western Thought and Islamic Reformism: Intellectual Challenges, Prior Discourse, and Future Prospects. Religions, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14030308
Holliday, S. (2025a). Towards a post-imperial and Global IR?: Revisiting Khatami’s Dialogue among Civilisations. Review of International Studies, 51(1), 159–178. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210523000621
Holliday, S. (2025b). Towards a post-imperial and Global IR?: Revisiting Khatami’s Dialogue among Civilisations. Review of International Studies, 51(1), 159–178. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210523000621
Jeshvaghani, M. S. (2021). An Analytical-Critical Reading of the Confrontation of Religion and Human Sciences in Contemporary Iran. Religious Inquiries, 10(20), 21–47. https://doi.org/10.22034/RI.2021.248857.1436
Kaihoul, A. (2024). ISLAMIC AESTHETICS IN ARCHITECTURE: FROM EAST TO WEST - THE WORK OF FERNAND POUILLON IN ALGERIA. Journal of Islamic Architecture, 8(1), 199–223. https://doi.org/10.18860/jia.v8i1.22931
Kenny, A. (2023). A New History of Western Philosophy: Medieval Philosophy: Volume II. In A New History of Western Philosophy Medieval Philosophy Volume II (p. 334). https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198752752.001.0001
Khalfaoui, M. (2021). Work between obligation and right in Muslim culture: Is there a paradigm shift? Journal of Islamic Ethics, 121(3), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1163/24685542-12340064
Korkmazgöz, R. (2023). Conceptual, Historical and Practical Aspects of Apostasy and Freedom of Belief. Cumhuriyet Ilahiyat Dergisi, 27(2), 404–421. https://doi.org/10.18505/cuid.1335318
Mammadov, A. (2025). Historical-Demographic Dynamics of Medieval Azerbaijan: A Comparative Historiographical Examination of Population Structure, Ethnicity, Migration, and Socio-Political Transformations. Architecture Image Studies, 6(3), 1125–1135. https://doi.org/10.62754/ais.v6i3.394
Mavroudi, M. (2021). The Modern Historiography of Byzantine and Islamic Philosophy: A Comparison. Al Masaq, 33(3), 282–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503110.2020.1815161
Meyzaud, M. (2024). An Arab Predecessor to Western (Trans-)Secular Thought: The European Enlightenment’s Encounters with Ibn ?ufayl and the Islamic Enlightenment. Political Theology, 25(5), 443–459. https://doi.org/10.1080/1462317X.2024.2322184
Mezhuev, B. V. (2024a). «He saw the special mission of Russian people. Why did Vladinir Solovév believe that Russia would unite all the mankind?». Solov Evskie Issledovania, (81), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.17588/2076-9210.2024.1.007-019
Mezhuev, B. V. (2024b). «He saw the special mission of Russian people. Why did Vladinir Solovév believe that Russia would unite all the mankind?». Solov Evskie Issledovania, (81), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.17588/2076-9210.2024.1.007-019
Mokhtari, O. (2024). THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL READING OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE IN THE THOUGHT OF ?ABD AL-KAR?M SOROUSH. Al Jami Ah, 62(2), 409–437. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajis.2024.622.409-437
Muslih, M. (2024). AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF AL FARUQI’S THEORY OF ISLAMIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE: A PERSPECTIVE FROM THOMAS KUHN’S PARADIGM SHIFT THEORY. Hamdard Islamicus, 47(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.57144/hi.v47i1.436
Nasrin. (2023). Need a Philosophy of Teacher Education: Perusing the Praxis and Policies. Teaching and Teacher Education in India Perspectives Concerns and Trends, (Query date: 2026-03-12 14:41:12), 49–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4985-4_3
Nassimov, M. (2025). The Role of Islamic Thought in the Formation and Development of Political Worldview. International Journal of Islamic Thought, 28(Query date: 2026-03-12 14:41:12), 134–143. https://doi.org/10.24035/ijit.28.2025.340
Piotrowski, K. (2021). The last supper of the west? An essay on reason, subreption and invalidating rationality. Art Inquiry, 23(Query date: 2026-03-12 14:59:57), 90–112. https://doi.org/10.26485/AI/2021/23/6
Polat, ?. (2025). Loyalty to Worldliness and the Affirmation of Life: A Reassessment of Nietzsche’s ‘Anti-Life’ Critique in the Context of Islamic Epistemology. Darulfunun Ilahiyat, 36(3), 798–819. https://doi.org/10.26650/di.2025.36.3.1736956
Reinert, E. S. (2023). Geography, uneven development and population density: Attempting a non-ethnocentric approach to development. A Modern Guide to Uneven Economic Development, (Query date: 2026-03-12 14:41:12), 46–70. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788976541.00008
Rouhani, H. (2023). Fardid and Nasr on the Confrontation of Western World. Journal of Philosophical Investigations, 17(45), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.22034/jpiut.2023.55151.3467
Saruhan, M. S. (2025). Intersections of Religion and Ethics: A Philosophical Analysis within Islamic Thought. International Journal of Islamic Thought, 28(Query date: 2026-03-12 14:41:12), 90–103. https://doi.org/10.24035/ijit.28.2025.337
Shahidullah, S. M. (2022). The Philosophy of Happiness: A Comparative Study between Western and Islamic Thought. Kemanusiaan, 29(2), 121–140. https://doi.org/10.21315/kajh2022.29.2.6
Wolfe, C. T. (2024). The history and philosophy of materialism. In History and Philosophy of Materialism (p. 486). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003118879
Young, J. O. (2023). A HISTORY OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC. In A History of Western Philosophy of Music (p. 384). https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108654777
