chapter 1-introduction to the civilizational studies

8/3/2019 Chapter 1-Introduction to the Civilizational Studies

1/14

CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION TO THE CIVILISATIONAL STUDIES

"History is for human self-knowledge ... the only clue to what man can do is what man

has done. The value of history, then, is that it teaches us what man has done and thuswhat man is." Robin G. Collingwood (1946)

The definition of civilizationThe great mystery is not that we should have been thrown down here at randombetween the profusion of matter and that of the stars; it is that from our very prison we

should draw, from our own selves, images powerful enough to deny our nothingness.Andr Malraux, Man's Fate (1933)

Here are a few textbook definitions:

Civilization is a form of human culture in which many people live in urban centers,have mastered the art of smelting metals, and have developed a method of writing.

Linguistically civilization means,1. An advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material development in

human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, theextensive use of record-keeping, including writing, and the appearanceof complex political and social institutions.

2. The type of culture and society developed by a particular nation or region or in a particular epoch: Mayan civilization; the civilization of ancient Rome.

3. The act or process of civilizing or reaching a civilized state.4. Cultural or intellectual refinement; good taste.

5. Modern society with its conveniences: returned to civilization after camping in the mountains.

The term civilization also designates that complex of cultural elements that firstappeared in human history between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. At that time, on the

basis of agriculture, stock-raising, and metallurgy, intensive occupational specialization began to appear in the river valleys of SW Asia. Writing appeared, as well as urbancenters that accommodated administrators, traders, and other specialists. The specificcharacteristics of civilization are: food production (plant and animal domestication),metallurgy, a high degree of occupational specialization, writing, and the growth of

cities. Such characteristics originally emerged in several different parts of the prehistoric world: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India, the central Andes, andMesoamerica. However, some civilizations did not have all of these characteristics(e.g., the Classic Maya had no metallurgy, and true writing apparently never emergedin central Mexico or the central Andes). Many anthropologists now focus on a politicalfactorthe development of hierarchical administrative bureaucraciesas the criticalcharacteristic of all civilizations. The first civilizations began in cities, which were


2/14

larger, more populated, and more complex in their political, economic and socialstructure than Neolithic villages. One definition of civilization requires that a civilized

people have a sense of history -- meaning that the past counts in the present.The Oxford English Dictionary defines civilization as "the action or process of

civilizing or of being civilized; a developed or advanced state of human society." Such

a definition is fraught with difficulties. For instance, how might we correctly identify a"developed or advanced state of human society"? Developed or advanced compared towhat? The OED defines the verb "to civilize" in the following way: "to make civil; to

bring out of a state of barbarism; to instruct in the arts of life; to enlighten; to refine and polish." Are we any closer to a working definition?

As historians have often remarked, civilization is a word easier to describe thanit is to define. As implied by the above discussion, the word itself comes from the Latinadjective civilis , a reference to a citizen. Citizens willingly bring themselves together in

political, social, economic, and religious organizations -- they merge together, that is, inthe interests of the larger community. Over time, the word civilization has come toimply something beyond organization -- it refers to a particular shared way of thinking

about the world as well as a reflection on that world in art, literature, drama and a hostof other cultural happenings.

Civilization as a conceptThe definitions of the term "civilization" are numerous. They vary according to theschool of thought which adopts them. However, the most comprehensive definitionwhich expresses the general meaning of civilization is the one which views civilizationas the expression of a system of beliefs, values and principles as well as the synthesis of human activities in the various fields of science, literature and art, without anydistinction whatsoever, along with the ensuing trends, tendencies and tastes shaping the

pattern of conduct, the lifestyle, the way of thinking and the standards to be heeded andsought. The term civilization has evolved from an era to another. Ibn Khaldoun definedcivilization as "a sophistication in luxury and the mastery of crafts used to advance it invarious aspects such as cooking, clothes, decoration, architecture, and all socialsituations. Each of these requires skills and crafts to achieve it. They are specific andcorollary one to another, but vary according to the variation of the inclinations of thesoul towards the pleasures, delights and enjoyment of luxury that are determined by thedecorum. Therefore, the cycle of civilization related to monarchy is necessarilyintertwined with the cycle of peasantry, since peasantry and monarchy areconsubstantial with one another." 1 Ibn Khaldoun argues that civilization is thesupplementary welfare added to the basics of life for any human society. It variesdepending on the degree of luxury and the unlimited differences between nations, interms of abundance and scarcity. 2 Ibn Khaldoun then provides a more elaboratedefinition of civilization, holding that monarchy and statehood are the ultimateexpression of nationalism and that civilization is the ultimate expression of rural life.Every human entity be it peasantry, civilization, monarchy or the folk, has a limitedlifetime like any of its individual constituents. 3 This is what confirms the theory of the

1 Abderrahman Ibn Khaldoun, Al-Muqaddimah , p. 548, annotated by Dr. Ali Abdulwahed Wafi,Dar Nahdah Misr, Cairo.

2 Ibid.3 Ibid.

2


3/14

rise and fall of civilizations which Ibn Khaldoun had been the first to develop, well before European philosophers and thinkers. Only late in the twentieth century, had theBritish historian Arnold Toynbee expounded and reformulated this theory in a modernway to become an axiom in the field of history philosophy. Ibn Khaldoun alsodescribes civilization as the age of toddling in the life of statehood and society .4

As for Ibn AL Azraq, he brings out a definition of civilization saying"civilization is the ultimate stage of the sophistication of society which leads it towardscorruption and unlimited evil; he who keeps aloof from it shall be closer to virtue." 5 Inmodern times, the meaning of the term civilization has evolved considerably. TheAmerican historian, Diorant, states in his large encyclopedia The story of civilization,translated into many languages, that civilization is a social system which allows man toincrease his cultural production.

The characteristics of civilizationIn 1936, the archeologist V. Gordon Childe published his book Man Makes Himself .Childe identified several elements which he believed were essential for a civilization to

exist. He included: the plow, wheeled cart and draft animals, sailing ships, the smeltingof copper and bronze, a solar calendar, writing, standards of measurement, irrigationditches, specialized craftsmen, urban centers and a surplus of food necessary to supportnon-agricultural workers who lived within the walls of the city. Childe's list concernshuman achievements and pays less attention to human organization.

Another historian agreed with Childe but added that a true definition of civilization should also include money collected through taxes, a privileged rulingclass, a centralized government and a national religious or priestly class. Such a list,unlike Childe's, highlights human organization.

In 1955, Clyde Kluckhohn argued that there were three essential criteria for civilization: towns containing more than 5000 people, writing, and monumentalceremonial centers. Finally, the archeologist and anthropologist Robert M. Adamsargued for a definition of civilization as a society with functionally interrelated sets of social institutions: class stratification based on the ownership and control of production,

political and religious hierarchies complementing each other in the centraladministration of territorially organized states and lastly, a complex division of labor,with skilled workers, soldiers and officials existing alongside the great mass of peasant

producers.In short, among the characteristics of a civilization are (Table 1);

No. The Characteristics1 Urban society: Living together in communities.2 Religion: Beliefs that provide answers to unanswerable questions.

3 Literacy: The ability to read and write.4 Government: Having a set of rules, leaders or organization to society5 Specialization: Using unique skills to benefit all.6 Social classes: Groups of people with common characteristics.

4 Ibid., p. 893.5 Ibn Al-Azraq, Patterns of behaviour and forms of governance [Badaea Suluk Fi Tabaia al-

Mulk], v. 1, p. 73, authenticated by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Abdulkarim, Dar Arabia Lil Kitab, Libya-Tunisia,1976.

3


4/14

7 Tool-making: The ability to problem-solve.8 Concept of time: Understanding of patterns like the seasons, sunrise and

sunset or tides can be used to your benefit.9 Leisure: Recognizing the value of the arts and entertainment.

10 Education/criticism: Striving to improve as an individual or as a culture

The relationship between civilization and religionEvery civilization is underpinned by general principles, which stem from religiouscreeds or positive philosophies. No matter how numerous creeds and philosophies are,the distinctive characteristics of a civilization are determined by the most well-entrenched creeds in the hearts and minds of people and the most influential in the

public life, to the extent that civilization becomes tainted and associated with them.This association is all the more sound when these underpinnings are sound inthemselves, as is the case with the Islamic civilization. The major civilizations in thehistory of humanity differ from one another depending on their stance on material andspiritual life. There are in fact civilizations where materialism is overwhelming, others

which favor the spiritual life and finally those which strike a fair balance between thematerialistic and the spiritual sides. 6 There is, in fact, a succession of civilizations, eachgiving way to its succeeding civilization. A state of affairs that led many a thinker to goas far as to argue that there is a resemblance or similitude among civilizations. 7

The relationship between civilization and cultureCivilization is made up of four components: social resources, political systems, ethicalstandards and the pursuit of science and art. It (civilization) begins where anguish anduncertainty end." 8 In this sense, civilization is more pregnant with meaning andsignificance to express the spirit which animates a given society. It is therefore morecomprehensive than culture, which has more to do with essence, identity and specificity

than with the appearance and the general character of human life in a socialenvironment, as Toynbee put it: "civilization contains but can never be contained" 9. Based on this concept, civilization starts from the interaction between various

cultures, whose features and specificities are shaped by peoples of different origins andcultures. Those cultures merge together in one main stream that constitutes civilization.Civilization has no ethnic character and cannot be associated with a given race or agiven people. When it is sometimes ascribed to a given nation or geographical region,this is only for the sake of definition. Conversely, culture is the symbol of identity, thereflection of subjectivity and the expression of the specificities of a particular nation or a people. Civilization is a crucible of various cultures with different origins and

backgrounds which blended and cross-fertilized to shape the characteristics of

civilization, that reflect the human spirit in its sublimity and express the general principles and values shared among them all.The development of a civilization

6 Youssef Al-Qaradawi, Islam, the Civilization of the Future , p. 15, Wahba Library, Cairo,1995.

7 Dr. Abdurrahman Khalifa and Dr. Fadlullah Mohamed Ismael, Ideology, Civilization and Globalization , p. 274, Boustan Al-Maarifa Library, Egypt, 2001.

8 Diorant, the Story of Civilization , v.1, p. 39 Toynbee, Study of History , p. 455.

4


5/14

Our civilizations are merely a wrinkle in time. Billions of years ago, during thePaleolithic Culture people had only knowledge for basic survival. The Stone Age was atime for hunting and gathering, building tools, and making fire. As the human raceevolved, so did the culture. This is when the Neolithic Culture was born. People startedtaking control. Farms sprang up and sedentary villages began to take form. Amazingly,

not too far from these progressing cultures grew civilizations. When one wants to look at the true heart of a civilization, they must first understand the civilizations beliefs,moral standards, social interaction, attitudes, values and social consciousness. Withouta sincere background about these topics, one cannot truly develop a full understandingof the period. History calls upon humankind to breakdown civilizations, and find theroots of past civilizations. Many factual ideas have been abstracted from numeroussources through out time.

All of these realizations led to the development of the earliest communities of people. Men learned to work together in order to work more efficiently and to make lifeeasier. Mankind could never have developed into what it is today if it wasn't for itsability to work together, for this ability was the ultimate separation point between us

and animals. By working together, man was able to improve on his efficiency in food production. Man switched from simply gathering food and simply gambling that thenext place he went would have the food he needed to survive. Now man began to insurethat the food would always be there when he needed it by beginning to farm anddomesticate animals. These farming techniques and the division of labor broughtmankind to a turning point in his development. Animals, unlike humans spend everywaking hour of their lives trying to survive and men did that until it was no longer necessary because they had enough food, if not more than enough to survive and soman was actually able to sit down and think about things, to consider, interpret andexplore.

One of the greatest evolutionary accomplishments came from theseaccomplishments: spoken communication. Spoken communication, as advanced asours, is one of the things that separate us from animals, because thoughts are worthlessif there is no way to share them. It is incredible how much as evolved from the simpleneed to survive. The physical evolution of man, however great it is, has been wellsurpassed by the social evolution of man. It is simple to marvel at the past, but we cannever really understand our current civilization without understanding its roots. Even atthis early level of civilization, art, one of the most wondrous and unique things aboutthe human race, developed. It is believed that art started out as symbolic depiction's of human relationships. This theory suggests that early social philosophers tried tointerpret the demands of the social structure by depicting them symbolically. For example, cave bison were not meant to be seen as bison, but rather depicted as women,and horses were meant to be seen as men. Some famous cave drawings can be seen insouthern France/northern Spain. On these cave walls are depicted wondrous murals of animals, such as bison, bulls, horses, ponies and stags. Also, the cave painters were notof the hunters in their group, their roles in society was to draw these paintings. Theywere specialists at their art. These people spent their whole day, just like the hunter-gatherers spent their whole day, doing their job. This is evidence that division of labor is a very old concept. Cave drawings were obviously a very important part of a society

5


6/14

in ancient days, and art itself came to be a very important part of every culture that hasever existed.

Later civilizations formed more advanced versions of art, such as sculpture,music and literature. These are all defined as arts. Almost every culture that had theability to developed these forms of art, did. After the social group of hunter-gatherers,

another type of community evolved. This was the community of villagers. Villageswould not have been possible if it wasn't for the development of hand-tools,specifically the hand-ax. Hand tools made it possible for man to build some of thestructures he built when he built the villages. "Nineteenth-century scholarshypothesized four stages in human development: (1) a savage stage in which all peoplewere hunter-gatherers, (2) a herdsman or nomad stage during which man domesticatedsome animals, (3) a farming stage, and (4) civilization. Researchers have sinceattempted to determine when and where man first changed from hunter-gatherer to

pastoralist or agriculturist."Many authorities have come to think that man's domestication of plants and

animals caused changes in their formand that the presence or absence of such changes

may indicate whether the animal or plant was domesticated at some time in the past. Onthe basis of such evidence, some scholars have hypothesized a preliminary agricultural phase of intensive food gathering in the Middle East about 9000-7000 BC, when man passed from hunting and gathering to food producing or agriculture. The Natufians of Palestine, who possessed sickles, lived at this time; whether the grain they harvestedwas sown or wild is not known. Cattle were probably domesticated during this periodor slightly earlier from the wild ox (Bos taurus), which stood six to seven feet (1.8 to2.1 metres) high at the withers (the ridge between the shoulder bones). At Shanidar, inIraq, it is claimed that sheep, similar to wild varieties in form and structure, were keptin herds. Furthermore, it has been suggested on somewhat speculative grounds thateinkorn wheat (Triticummonococcum), emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum), and wild

barley (Hordeum spontaneum) were cultivated about 7000 BC at Ali Kosh on the borders of Iraq and Iran.

"There seems no compelling reason, however, why these instances should beregarded as the first of their kind. It is possible that domesticated beans (Phaseolus),

peas (Pisum), bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria), and water chestnuts(Trapa) may have been grown at the Spirit Cave in northern Thailand about 9000 BC. In the Americas, pumpkins(Cucurbita) and gourds (Lagenaria) are known to have existed indomesticated form in northeast Mexico about 7000 BC, and probably beans in theTehuacan Valley. The bones of a dog, possibly used for hunting around 8500 B.C.;were discovered in the United States. In sum, it now seems unlikely that there waseither a single or even a very limited number of places of origin of plant and animaldomestication and, therefore, of agriculture."

Villagers were able to stay in one place because of the newfound abilities infarming and livestock. This brought about even greater accomplishments because of itscomplexity. Men had to totally change their way of life to survive village life. Most of their time was spent in field-work. Most people worked in food production, with a verysmall percent, perhaps as little as one percent were involved in handicrafts such asmaking pottery, weaving, and tool/weapon making. When people in western Asia

6


7/14

became agriculturists, they began building year-round dwelling places. With thedevelopment of permanent villages came the development of warfare.

Warfare has become an everyday part of people's lives. People's attitudes reflectthis war-like behavior. How people build up alliances in everyday life. How one groupof children can not like another group, and vice-versa. The spirit of war is imbedded in

us all. It may not come naturally, but we see it in ourselves and each other."Village organization inevitably brought about long- distance trade , and it justas inevitably provoked the growth of war. No doubt war has been the bane of humanexistence, with famine and disease, at least since the appearance of agriculturalvillages, but since the growth of warfare in ancient times stimulated the growth of economic and social complexity it nonetheless must be counted as a step towardthe emergence of civilization."

The advancements that can be contributed to warfare in ancient times can also be attributed to modern times. For example, the United States and many other countriesacross the world were brought out of the Great Depression by World War II. In additionto economic advancements due to the war, social advancements were also made. Civil

rights and women's rights movements gained great strength during this time, and thesame can be expected to have happened in ancient times, because, as we already know,history repeats itself.

"What makes the hand-ax of particular interest here is that by the time of its perfection during the second inter-glacial, it was being manufactured over a truly vastarea: from South Africa to southern England and from England across the southern half of Europe and the Near East to India."

Villages, however, were only a minor beginning to what was to come. The nextlevel in the development of civilization was the emergence of the towns. Towns wereslightly more populated than villages and much more organized. Townspeople hadleaders or kings and these towns eventually evolved into cities. Many towns sprung uparound southwest Asia and Europe around this time. Religion played an important rolein the lives of towns people.

"From the 3rd millennium BC to the beginning of the Christian Era, forms of prayer changed little among the Assyrians and Babylonians and their descendants. Theoldest forms are composed of hymns and litanies to the moon goddess Sin and the godTammuz. Though some songs of joy have been found, most are adjurations. Somehymns of thanksgiving tell of gratitude to the divinity for victory over an enemy."

Many civilization's developed religions to explain natural phenomenon. They believed that if they made sacrifices to their gods, they would receive a good harvest,good weather and be free from diseases. Religion played an important role in thedevelopment of ancient civilizations. Many of these newly formed cities were ruledunder a theocracy, a form of government in which the ruler has both religious and

political power. While these civilizations were developing, they were laying thegroundwork for future societies. The United States, for example, modeled itself after Athens, an ancient city in Greece. Their development was just as important as was thatof modern countries because they initiated new techniques and strategies. The ancientcivilizations formed a part of our modern world that is very evident today. Thesecivilizations shaped our theology, art, music, literature, language, lifestyles, andgovernment.

7


8/14

In closing, I would like to reflect on certain key points in this essay. First off being how mankind learned to work together. Men worked together in order toaccomplish a common goal from the earliest times. But these alliances brought aboutwarfare. War is permanently imbedded in our souls and our minds. It has always playeda major role of world history. Despite this characteristic, the want of man to achieve a

common good has continually popped up through history and resolved many of theseconflicts. It is necessary that we understand how modern civilization developed so thatwe can fully comprehend it. Mankind has shown a continual effort to achieve

perfection, with some methods coming to a dead end and others flourishing, andwhether or not we ever achieve a perfect society depends on whether or not we are ableto fully trust each other.

The Similarities and Differences: Comparative Studies of CivilizationsComparative studies of civilizations is a new branch of human sciences which drawsconcurrently on sociology, philosophy and different literary disciplines. In this, it issimilar to contrastive theology which, although known only recently to the Western

school of thought, is an age-old tradition in the Arab Islamic culture, since manyvaluable books were written in the respect, known as the books of religions, sects andcults. In his Muqaddima (prolegomenon), Ibn Khaldoun laid down the bases of socialscience which developed later to become known as sociology and the philosophy of history. Likewise, we can rehearse the 18th century performance of Ibn Khaldoun inthis scientific area by laying down the basic principles of comparative studies of civilizations in its general acceptance and as a first stage before drawing up themethodology which would set the rules, specify the concepts and delineate the

borderlines between this category of studies and other categories of modern humanstudies. This is confirmed by the fact that the Egyptian University established in 1908,named later Fouad I University and known today as Cairo University- whose reputationis well established in the field of modern academic studies, never had such a curriculathroughout its existence. Therefore the creation of the Department of OrientalLanguages in Cairo University in early 40s of the twentieth century by AbdelwahabAZAM, could be considered as the first step towards identifying this academicdiscipline, since oriental language studies are closely bound to comparative studies of the civilizations represented by these languages, which are the tributaries of the greatstream of the Islamic civilization.

Comparative study of civilizations, as a discipline of modern human sciences, is perhaps the closest and most apt for study of social, cultural and intellectual mutationsof human societies, sharing close and harmonious tendencies and a disposition for human interaction at a given historical period, or over a span of time, on the premisethat civilization is the quintessence of these interactions and transformations in thefields of human creativity, regardless of the nature of this creativity. All civilizationshave a point in common, which is the fact that a civilization is by definition a distinctcategory different from primitive communities, although these communities far outnumber civilizations. 10 Hence, the erroneous idea of the uniqueness of civilization,expounded by Arnold Toynbee, who argues that there is only one single civilization,

10 Arnold Toynbee , Summary of a study of History , v. 1, p. 21, translated by Fouad MohamedChebel, revised by Mohamed Chafiq Gherbal, Culture Directorate, League of Arab States, Cairo, 1966.

8


9/14

that is the Western civilization. 11 Indeed, this is a case of what can be termed ascivilizational racism.

Major contemporary civilizationsResearchers in the field of civilization studies agree on the definition of the major

contemporary and ancient civilizations. However, they often disagree on their number.If we consider the basic cultural elements which determine a civilization, six major contemporary civilizations can be identified: the Islamic civilization, Westerncivilization, Indian civilization, Japanese civilization and Latin-American civilization.Each of these civilizations has its distinctive features and specificities that differentiateit from other civilizations in many respects. Civilizations may share certain aspects andtraits, which are part of the human nature that is prone to behave according to the sounddisposition bequeathed by Allah Almighty. Having discussed hereinabove the Islamiccivilization and its characteristics, I will elaborate succinctly and concisely on the other five contemporary civilizations.

Western civilizationContemporary Western civilization is based on deep-rooted intellectual foundationsthat date back as far as ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Five characteristics of Western thought were brilliantly outlined by Dr. Yussuf Al Qaradawi as follows:

a. The flawed knowledge of the divinity: Western perception underlyingWestern civilization does not have a neat, clear-cut vision of God living up toHis true dimensions. It is rather a hazy and blurred vision.b. The materialistic propensity which believes in the primacy of matter as a

basis for understanding the universe, knowledge and behaviors, denying at thesame time the metaphysical and spiritual dimension.c. The secular tendency, which is the upshot and the corollary of the two

preceding characteristics. It is a tendency which separates religion from sociallife.d. C onflict: It is a civilization pervaded by conflict, a civilization which doesnot believe in peace, quietude or love. It is marked by conflict between man andhimself, between man and his fellows and finally between man and his Creator.e. Feeling of superiority: It is a drive which is deeply ingrained in the mind of all Westerners. They consider themselves to be superior to others and believethat Western civilization is synonymous to Human Civilization. They recognizeno other civilization. 12

These are the salient features of Western civilization both in ancient and modern times.

The positive aspects of Western civilizationTo be fair in our analysis, we should admit that Western civilization has positiveaspects benefiting humanity. It offers a lot of advantages and, above all, shares many

positive sides with the Islamic civilization. Western civilization was able, thanks to the progress of mathematics, natural science and their technological applications, to provide man with unprecedented and undreamt of capabilities and opportunities. It

11 Ibid.12 Dr. Yussuf al-Qaradawi, op. cit., p. 30.

9


10/14

offered means, tools and apparatuses that were never available before, and reduceddistances, bringing remote locations closer while saving time, thanks to modern meansof transportation which are permanently improved, to the extent that the world has

become a planetary village. The first industrial era spared man the physical effort,thanks to the introduction of machines. In the second industrial era, the computer which

carries out tremendously complex operations spared man the mental effort. Computer technology has been introduced into the Islamic scientific life, especially in thedisciplines related to the study of the Quran, the Prophetic Tradition, linguistics,literature and many other disciplines .13

Among the most important features of Western civilization is the fact that it is aconstantly evolving civilization, going from one stage to another. Besides, it providesman with incentives to create and produce. It provides him with the psychological andrational him sound administration and good governance helping fulfil work efficientlythrough the mechanism of reward and punishment. Western civilization has ensured asociety where individual freedom and basic rights are respected. Under theseconditions, man enjoys his dignity and feels liberated from fear and humiliation

becoming thereby productive and useful for his fellows.14

These are the positive aspectsof Western civilization, all of them have to do with the means, tools and machines used by man. They are in fact double-edged tools which can be used either for good or evil.Even the expression "the planetary village" which was initially coined to render thereduction of distances is not a pure blessing, it may well generate a great deal of evil.Western civilization is in fact a civilization of means and capabilities not a civilization

pursuing sublime objectives and finalities. The negative aspects of Western civilizationare those which are at odds with religion, virtue and the human principles based onthese religious tenets and ethics. They compromise human civilization and lead tocrises, conflicts and wars among states. They also spur the drives of evil, jeopardize theadvance of science, knowledge, arts and literature. They even undermine the veryfoundations of civilization.

Indian civilizationThe Indian civilization did not begin initially on the banks of northern Indian rivers. Itgrew up from the remnants of the Sumerian civilization brought to northern India to

blossom in an Indian environment and give birth to one of the major historicalcivilizations. The Indian civilization was basically established on an Indian cult of legendary divinities heralding ethical principles similar to those of Buddhism. Itflourished approximately between 1375 and 475 AD. The Indian civilization wasdestroyed by the Hun tribes who invaded India, Central Asia and part of Europe. Thismeans that the Indian civilization was based on ancient civilizations, one succeeding tothe other as is the case with all major civilizations. All these successive Indiancivilizations shared the same bases seemingly commanded by the vastness of the IndianPeninsula and the geographic and natural diversity. They were more civilizations of meditation and contemplation 15 than civilizations of hard work and labor. In all cases,Hinduism had always been a fundamental constituent of the culture of the Indian

13 Ibid.14 Ibid.15 Dr. Hussain Moueness, Civilization, Study of its origins and developments, Issue 1 Repeated

in Issue 237) of the Series World of Knowledge (Alam Al-Maarifa); Kuwait, 1998, pp. 225-226.

10


11/14

Peninsula from 1500 BC to 400 AD. Ancient Indian civilization was inclined towardsasceticism and austerity in life. Al bairouni had already pointed out this fact andscathingly criticized it in his book on India "Detailing Indias plausible andunacceptable ideas." 16 Nowadays, Indias modern civilization represents a fast-growingworld power which seeks to participate effectively in world politics and influence its

course.

Chinese civilizationThe chinese civilization is about two thousand years old. As it is the case with theIndian civilization, the moral and material civilizational bases on which the Chinesecivilization was founded, matured during the period extending from 1786 to 1223 BC.The Chinese were viewing themselves -despite their various origins- as the only peopleon Earth who deserved respect and consideration to the exclusion of all other peopleswho were seen as barbarous people unworthy of respect. The chinese civilizationdiffers from other civilizations by the fact that it is purely Chinese and was hardlyinfluenced from abroad, since China fell only twice under foreign domination. The first

time was at the hands of the Mongols and the second time was the most recentEuropean intervention. The Mongol conquest had deep effects on the civilizationalstructure of China, but those effects wore away as time passed. The Western conquest,for its part, was so brutal and influential that it shook the traditional foundations of theChinese social fabric. 17 Confucianism remains a fundamental constituent of the Chinesecivilization, however. The posture of nowadays China as the biggest country in termsof population and growth redisposes it to occupy a privileged position on theinternational arena and to compete with great powers in the making of international

politics.

Japanese civilizationMany researchers in the field of history of civilizations consider that both Chinese andJapanese cultures are part of the same civilization of the Far-East. Some researchers,however, consider Japan as a separate civilization with its proper characteristics, even if its remote origins can be traced back to the Chinese civilization. Nowadays, Japan is acivilized and advanced society which has preserved its language and its identity, able tocompete with the West in frontier scientific and industrial domains.

Latin-American civilizationContemporary Latin-American civilization is a mixture of interactions between theancient civilizations of the Incas, the Mayas and the Aztecs and the influence of European civilizations, which pervaded Latin-American communities and permeatedthem with Catholicism. This interaction is clearly apparent in arts, literature, music,social customs and architecture. Many researchers consider Latin-America as a distinct

branch of Western civilization although different, in many respects, from the pureWestern fashion represented by North America and Western Europe. Hence, we seethat civilizations are in fact layers superposed one on another. Every major or smallcivilization dissimulates underneath a preceding civilization, and so on and so forth up

16 Ibid., 227.17 Ibid., 232.

11


12/14

to the very beginning of civilization. This is the phenomenon of the rise and fall of civilizations, which Ibn Khaldoun had been the first to mention in his Muqaddima.

The Civilizational dialogueWestern thinkers often indulge in the fallacy of describing Western civilization as the

Human civilization, and limiting the use of the term civilization exclusively to Westerncivilization. This is the feeling of superiority that characterizes Western civilization ingeneral. The truth, however, is that Western civilization is part of the humancivilizations existing in this world. These civilizations cannot be ignored or overlookedonly to pander to the feelings of superiority and hegemony of the ruling classes andintellectual elite of the West. There are in fact many civilizations around the world, inAsia, Africa, and Latin-America. The Islamic civilization being part of these humancivilizations has self standing fundamentals and outstanding characteristics whichdistinguish it from other civilizations. The resolution of the General Assembly of theUnited Nations proclaiming the year 2001 a Year of Dialogue Among Civilizationstakes the wind out of the sails of the advocates of the centrality of Western civilization

and refutes their racist claims. Therefore, to advocate the centrality of Westerncivilization and its exclusive leadership of the world would stand in opposition tointernational law and common sense, and contradict historical and geographic facts.The call for dialogue among contemporary civilizations is a lucid, logical and soundhuman behavior which favors a high level of interaction in international relations. TheIslamic civilization is the most deserving to fulfil the mission of dialogue, given itsunderlying faith and its universal dimensions that are hardly present in other civilizations.

The Islamic civilization and Dialogue among CivilizationsThe specifics of the Islamic civilization do not isolate it from other human civilizations.They are rather elements of force which incite for dialogue and push for coexistence.This gives Islamic civilization a center of gravity and a force of attraction which orientit towards an interaction with civilizations conducive to cross-fertilization that results inwhat may be called civilizational renovation. It is my belief that Islamic civilization hasin general a mission and a responsibility in the civilizational renovation at a humanscale. This civilization is the sole civilization which possesses the vital elementsrequired by this enterprise of renovation of existing human civilizations, because it isthe civilization of the Islamic Ummah marked out by the seal of Islam, the last and

perennial message of Allah Almighty to the entire humanity at any time and anywhereup until the Judgement Day. The aim of all civilizational efforts is to promote thecondition of man himself, for ignorance, barbarism and errance lead to utter decadence.What would then be the significance of material progress? 18 Western civilization has sofar been unable to achieve this human progress in full consonance with the faith in themight of Allah, the Creator of the universe, a faith liable to secure quietude,contentment and feeling of rational and emotional security. The Islamic civilization, bycontrast, was and is still founded on this vital element of faith. It is indeed a civilizationof faith, intrinsically and heartily, humane and merciful. As a matter of fact, the Islamiccivilization is the civilization which adds the religious dimension to the idea of

18 Dr. Hussain Moueness, op., cit., p. 348.

12


13/14

progress. Progress is not sought for the sake of progress. The finality of progress is thehuman progress which caters for the good instincts of man and his aspirations to live in

peace and harmony with other creatures and to cooperate with his fellows with a viewto achieving beauty, virtue and general well-being. Further still, Islamic civilization isnot an ideal, a doctrine, a deserted project or an unworkable idea. It is a living reality

experienced by the Islamic community, a reality brought to being by Muslim and nonMuslim people living within the Islamic community and making part and parcelthereof. Muslims being the ones who make the Islamic civilization, who draw up itsfuture, preserve it and determine its destiny. This is the responsibility of the IslamicUmmah in the present and the future, and this is the mission of the Islamic civilization.

Prospective vision of dialogue among civilizationsThe call for dialogue among civilization emerged first and foremost from the Islamicworld. During his term as Chairman of the OIC, Mr. Mohamed Khatami, the IranianPresident, was in fact behind the proposal to the United Nations to adopt the idea anddeclare an international year for Dialogue among civilizations. Based on this proposal,

the General Assembly of the United Nations issued a resolution proclaiming the year 2001 the United Nations Year for Dialogue among Civilizations. The IslamicEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -ISESCO- played an important rolein the implementation of many activities related to Dialogue Among Civilization, in itscapacity as the representative of the Islamic world according to the resolution issued bythe Islamic Conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers. 19 The Islamic Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization -ISESCO- took no delay to show its interest in theissues of dialogue among civilizations. It played an outstanding role, given its mandateand mission, in formulating a new, integrated, well-balanced and coherent conceptionof dialogue at its three levels: dialogue among civilizations, dialogue among culturesand dialogue among religions.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization initiated ascientific approach to the concept of dialogue, based on a historical, inductivemethodology which lead to the conclusion that the concept of dialogue was a brandnew notion in the field of modern political and cultural thought. Dialogue was not aterm of international law and did not figure in United Nations Charter, nor theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on Economic andSocial Rights, and far less the Declaration of the Principles of International CulturalCooperation. Based on this fact, dialogue is a civilizational, political, ideological andcultural concept and not a legal one.

Dialogue has a deep significance in our cultural and civilizational heritagewhich refers to principles and values that are an essential part of the Islamic civilizationand culture. Dialogue is among the values of the Islamic civilization. It is an intellectualattitude and an emotional disposition. It is an expression of the most salient feature of the genuine Islamic personality. Fom ISESCOs perspective, dialogue is based on threeclear and well established principles which are: mutual respect, justice and equity, andrejection of bigotry and hatred

Keeping in line with ISESCOs approach to dialogue in its civilizationalacceptance promoted by the Organization, the dialogue that is liable to achieve the

19 27 th Session, Bamako, Mali, June 2000.

13


14/14

general human objectives and thereby deserves the interest of the Islamic world, must be oriented to serve the following aims: First : gearing dialogue to serving the supremeinterests of the Islamic Ummah, so that there would be no conflict between theobjectives drawn up for any dialogue among civilizations and cultures to which theIslamic world is part and the major issues of consensus among the Islamic Ummah and

which are reflected in the resolutions of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,whether at the Summit level or at the Ministerial level. Second : focussing dialogue onthe human aspect, to avoid being hurt with the religious and intellectual issues, whichare of no benefit to any party. It should be oriented, for instance, towards determining aclear faith-based attitude towards human rights, the fight against all forms of injustice,exclusion, suppression and corruption, the purpose being to issue joint declarationsafter each dialogue session highlighting the stance on the violation and abuse taking

place in the world and the corruption and evil prevailing worldwide. The stance shouldreflect the shared point of view of religions, and reflect justice and equity, and not onlythe point of view of politics, positive law and those who hold power and influence onearth. Third : securing coordination among all Islamic parties with respect to all matters

pertaining to dialogue among civilizations and cultures. The official or the civil body incharge of dialogue at this level should inform all parties, or at least the main actorshaving a large presence on the arena of Islamic cultural, intellectual and scientificaction, of all subjects of dialogue, its date and venue, its objectives and the organizing

party so that they could join and participate therein. If the concerned parties in theIslamic world, in charge of dialogue among civilizations, would manage to control itsadvancement according to this scheme, it would be possible to obtain positive resultslikely to serve the supreme interests and causes of the Islamic Ummah in the first place,and reinforce the efforts deployed at many levels to defend these interests and promotethese causes in order to consolidate and enrich international relations, to contribute tothe fostering of peace, security and stability in the world and to valorize the values of faith and belief in Allah Almighty as well as in the principles of coexistence among allhuman beings. 20

20 Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, ISESCO perception of Dialogue among Civilizations inthe White book on Dialogue among Civilizations, pp. 97-99, Publications of the Islamic Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Rabat, 2002.

14

chapter 1-introduction to the civilizational studies

Documents