Where East Meets West 1

Description

Mona Abul-Fadl's authoritative examination argues that cultural frameworks—not geopolitical or military power—will ultimately determine the trajectory of human civilization and political futures. She positions Islam as an enduring civilizational fulcrum, historically and contemporaneously mediating between Eastern and Western worldviews and value systems. The work identifies a fundamental tension: Western dominance over the political sphere grants it outsized influence in establishing civilization's contemporary parameters and direction, yet Western rational liberalism has proven inadequate for addressing mounting human crises and social pathologies. Abul-Fadl advocates retrieving timeless wisdom traditions—rooted in both natural law and divine understanding—as necessary correctives to this philosophical insufficiency. A critical diagnosis emerges: when individuals operate as autonomous agents unmoored from communal responsibility, social cohesion disintegrates, leaving persons defenseless against their own destructive impulses. This dissolution accelerates within our technologically interconnected world, where instantaneous global communication creates unprecedented cultural proximity without corresponding ethical or philosophical frameworks for meaningful coexistence. Abul-Fadl insists that substantive East-West dialogue must transcend conflict prevention. It demands collaborative reimagining of rationality itself and reconstitution of community within ethically accountable structures. This demanding endeavor requires both shared moral conviction and institutional capacity to manifest those values concretely—a formidable challenge necessitating authentic cross-cultural collaboration and sustained commitment. ISBN 13 : 978-1565643536 ISBN 10 : 1565643534 Author : Mona Abul-Fadl Format : Paperback Language : English Size : 6.3 x 0.59 x 9.45 inches Publisher : Goodword Books Pages : 112 pages