Between Muftis and Morality: Reviving Islamic Philosophical Discourse in Islamic Bioethics

Abstract: Islamic bioethics has grown steadily in recent decades. Despite commendable contributions however, the discipline remains limited in critical ways. Most notably, its central methodology of strict application of texts and resources to ethical analyses and recommendations, often lacks sufficient moral analysis, intellectual engagement, or social context. The practice’s emphasis on the legal rather than the ethical, and its clear preference for religious rulings- without an investigation of their underpinning moral values- has resulted in a discipline devoid of robust normative moral foundations and dependent upon ineffective and unsubstantiated claims.
This paper calls for a revival of Islamic philosophical discourse in an effort to enrich Islamic bioethical practice. Although once popularized by Medieval Muslim philosophers like Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes), philosophical discourse has fallen out of favor in the Muslim world, largely due to a perceived tension with religion. Through presenting the work of several early Muslim philosophers, this paper highlights the rich tradition of philosophical discourse in the Medieval Muslim world, disproving claims of an inherent conflict between philosophy and Islam.
Utilizing an Islamic philosophical framework, this paper also establishes three goals for Islamic bioethics. First, a shift from essentialist understandings of scripture to more contextual examinations in the formulation of ethical opinions. Second, an active collaboration between Muslim philosophers and theologians in the determination of Islamic bioethical positions. Third, a robust dialogue aimed at continually re-assessing and re-understanding bioethical concepts such as personhood, dignity, futility, autonomy, and justice from within an Islamic tradition.

Keywords: Medieval Muslim Philosophy, Islamic Bioethics, Avicenna, Averroes, Alfarabi