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The Euthyphro Dilemma and the Metaethics of Al- Māturīdī

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The Euthyphro Dilemma and the Metaethics of Al- Māturīdī T.C. SAKARYA ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ THEOLOGICAL-ETHICS AND EPISTEMOLOGY: THE EUTHYPHRO DILEMMA AND THE METAETHICS OF AL- MĀTURĪDĪ DOKTORA TEZİ Kayhan ÖZAYKAL Enstitü Ana Bilim Dalı : Felsefe ve Din Bilimleri Enstitü Bilim Dalı : Din Felsefesi Tez Danışmanı: Prof. Dr. Atilla ARKAN Haziran — 2017 Preface The main problem of theological ethics is determining the source of morality. The matter has ancient roots and remains a major issue of division in theology for Abrahamic religions. In the Islamic tradition, Abū Mansūr al-Māturīdī represents a middle position between opposing sides of the debate. He is a neglected figure in contemporary English literature that deserves greater attention, especially because of the unique maturity, sophistication and modern applicable of his thought. Elements from Aristotle, Kant, and Derrida form a substantial part of the background to this investigation. The unity I find to exist among the three above mentioned philosophers, no doubt controversially, consists in various rationalistic approaches to epistemology that connect reason to morality. Together their ideas and methods have directed my interests in al-Māturīdī. That is why, though utilitarian philosophers, such as J. S. Mill, shall receive some attention, their influence here is not as profound. In contrast, from Aristotle, Kant and Derrida I have learnt what it is like to realise one has entered a unique vista of enquiry with the promise of grasping a fundamental truth; and from al-Māturīdī I have seen how beautiful a philosophical scheme can be. I wish to thank my supervisor Prof. Dr. Atilla Arkan for his encouragement and optimism during the writing of this thesis. I would also like to thank my teachers at Sakarya University, especially Doc. Dr. Muammer İskenderoğlu, whose comments on draft submissions resulted in vital revisions, and Doc. Dr. Kemal Batak, whose guidance was instrumental to me finding a subject that I love. I am indebted to many other individuals too numerous to mention and in ways greater than I can comprehend. I would like to thank my teachers at the Istanbul Research and Education Foundation, Prof. Dr. Recep Şentürk, Prof. Dr. Necmettin Kızılkaya, Prof. Dr. Şükrü Özen, Prof. Dr. Murteza Bedir, Maşuk Yamaç Hoca, Prof. Dr. Zekeriya Güler, Mehmet Fatih Kaya Hoca, Doc. Dr. Cüneyd Köksal, Dr. Bilal Aybakan, Hasan Canseven Hoca and the staff at the foundation for the knowledge and suppory they gave me. I would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Rahim Acar, Yrd. Doc. Dr. Emrah Kaya and Yrd. Doc. Dr. Hümeyra Özturan, and Prof. Dr. Recep Alpyağıl, whose advice critically improved this work. Moreover, my gratitude belongs greatly to my dear fiancé Merve Özdemir; an immediate and perpetual source of joy, strength and inspiration. Her clarity of thought and keen spirit proved to be contagious. And, finally, I would like to declare the incalculable love, patience and support shown to me from by my parents Hasan and Nuran. They have instilled in me respect for knowledge and hard work; have been by my side always with their love, and to them I am forever grateful. Kayhan ÖZAYKAL 12.06.2017 CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................ iii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... iv ÖZET............................................................................................................................ v SUMMARY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...vi Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Thesis Subject ........................................................................................................................... 2 Thesis Aim .............................................................................................................................. 12 Thesis Method ......................................................................................................................... 14 Thesis Importance ................................................................................................................... 18 Literature Review .................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 1: The Euthyphro Dilemma in Western and Islamic Thought .................. 25 1.1 An Analysis of the Arguments in Euthyphro .................................................................... 26 1.2 On the Horns of the Dilemma ........................................................................................... 40 1.3 An Assessment of the Dilemma ........................................................................................ 44 1.4 Plausibility ........................................................................................................................ 78 1.5 The Ḥusn-Qubh Issue in Islamic Thought ........................................................................ 80 1.5.1 The Tale of Three Brothers and Divine Justice ....................................................... 80 1.5.2 Ash‛arī versus Mu‘tazilī .......................................................................................... 83 1.5.3 The Dilemmas facing Mu‛tazilī and al-Ash‛arī’s Theological-ethics ..................... 91 1.6 Chapter Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 96 Chapter 2: The Euthyphro Dilemma in relation to Epistemology ......................... 101 2.1 Dialogue and Incommensurability .................................................................................. 101 2.2 Epistemological aspects of the theo- and ratiocentric positions ..................................... 103 2.2.1 Three Questions .................................................................................................... 105 2.3 The Epistemological Dimensions of the Ḥusn-Qubh Issue ............................................ 113 2.4 The Fundamentality of Epistemology to Theological-ethics: An Evaluation of the Epistemological Aspects of Answers to the Euthyphro Dilemma ........................................ 122 2.5 Chapter Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 132 Chapter 3: The Epistemological and Theological Background to al-Māturīdī’s Metaethics .................................................................................................................... 135 3.1 Al-Māturīdī’s writings on Ethics and Metaethics ........................................................... 135 3.2 Cosmology toward Belief in the Existence of God ......................................................... 138 3.3 Theology and Moral Fundamentals ................................................................................ 156 i 3.4 Chapter Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 166 Chapter 4: The Philosophical Identity of al-Māturīdī’s Ethics .............................. 169 4.1 Towards Understanding al-Māturīdī’s Metaethics.......................................................... 169 4.2 Basic Western Ethical Concepts versus Ḥusn and Qubh ................................................ 170 4.3 Moral Relativity, Objectivity, and the Worldly Status of Morality ................................ 184 4.4 Divine Wisdom and the Moral World ............................................................................. 192 4.5 Chapter Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 205 Chapter 5: The Status of Moral Knowledge in al-Māturīdī’s Ethics ..................... 208 5.1 Moral Knowledge as the Prelude to Moral Obligation ................................................... 208 5.2 Moral Epistemology ........................................................................................................ 209 5.2.1 The Sources of Knowledge ................................................................................... 209 5.2.2 The Operations of Reason ..................................................................................... 211 5.2.3 Acquirement of Moral Knowledge ....................................................................... 222 5.3 Human Epistemological Freedom and the Moral Role of Reason .................................. 239 5.4 Chapter Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 242 Chapter 6: The Origin of the Moral Imperative and its Theoethical Dimensions 245 6.1 Ethical Parallels of the Epistemological Divide Evident in Euthyphro and the Is-Ought Gap ........................................................................................................................................ 245 6.2 The Source of Moral Obligation in al-Māturīdī .............................................................. 251 6.3 A Solution to the Euthyphro Dilemma and the Is-Ought Gap ........................................ 262 6.4 Chapter Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 270 Thesis Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 274 References ...................................................................................................................
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