Foundational Sources of Western Thought and Civilization: An Historic Exploration from the Islamic Perspective

Abstract

The contemporary era is considered the most established period of human intellectual history, an age of culmination of human thought, civilization, and philosophy. The diverse theories, unique concepts and innovative ideas have reached their zenith with the intense competition of thought and civilization. In such a competitive scenario, Islamic and Western civilizations have acquired special attention, role, and status in the global sociopolitical context. Every civilization has some special features and elements which make it distinct from others. This study will deliberate the foundational sources of western thought and civilization regarding its historic exploration from within the Islamic context. A historic and analytical research methodology has been adopted for a better understanding of western and Islamic thoughts by comparing different aspects of both perceptions. It is perceived that Western civilization is a mixture of Greco-Roman Civilization including tenets from Judeo-Christian sources which evolved through centuries to reach its current position while the Islamic civilization has revealed footings with a socio-religious and religio-political rich history. Therefore, the impact and status of the two civilizations are different from each other due to distinct epistemological considerations.