Things as They are: Nafs al-Amr and the Metaphysical Foundations of Objective Truth (Classification of the Sciences Project)

This might just be one of the most important books to come out of the Islamic philosophical tradition in recent memory (at least is the English speaking world). It’s breadth of scope spans epistemological and spiritual frameworks too often forgotten in modern discourse and attempts to bridge internal/external, subjective/objective, spiritual/material partitions erected in the spiraling decay of traditional worldviews and understandings that have been witnessed globally for centuries. It’s an attempt to provide us with tools to regain confidence in our ability to know, to know why or how we know, and participate once more in a meaningful world.This treatise is a tour-de-force, and puts the classical Islamic tradition squarely in dialogue with western philosophy (most significantly Immanuel Kant). Anyone interested in how classical philosophical iterations, be they Christian, Islamic or Jewish, contrast with modern and post-modern sentiments, will find much fodder herein.The text is challenging at times and will require due diligence if you are not already familiar with the content. Trust me, though, this is an important step forward in attempting to heal the meaning crisis that pervades modern society.