Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111) was a towering Islamic theologian, jurist, and mystic often remembered for his critique of the philosophers. A persistent myth holds that al-Ghazali “condemned rationalism and declared mathematics the work of the devil,” supposedly discouraging scientific inquiry. In reality, al-Ghazali did not reject the scientific method or empirical sciences as a whole. He drew careful distinctions between the exact sciences (like mathematics, astronomy, medicine) – which he deemed valuable and demonstrable – and metaphysical philosophy – certain speculative doctrines he deemed theologically problematic iep.utm.edu. His seminal works “The Incoherence of the Philosophers” (Tahāfut al-Falāsifa) and “Deliverance from Error” (al-Munqidh min al-Ḍalāl) make these nuances clear. Below, we explore al-Ghazali’s views on natural science, logic, and metaphysics, and how his ideas influenced later Islamic thought (notably provoking Ibn Rushd’s rebuttal) as well as Western reflections on scientific methodology and causality.

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