Interview: Islamic Neoplatonism with John Vervaeke ~ Silk Road Seminars
Why Neoplatonic Philosophy is relevant for Muslims and philosophers today
This week I had the honor of joining Professor John Vervaeke on his new series Silk Road Seminars to speak about Islamic Neoplatonism. For those who do not know, Professor Vervaeke is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Science in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Vervaeke has been very vocal about the “Meaning Crisis” and often speaks about reviving Neoplatonism as a serious worldview and thought paradigm for people today.
Our lengthy discussion covered the following themes and topics in Islamic Neoplatonism:
1. Neoplatonism as a living tradition for Muslims
2. Neoplatonic interpretations of Islamic prayers (PDF of my article “Neoplatonic Prayer)
3. Muslim views of pre-Islamic religious traditions
4. Muslim Dhikr as Neoplatonic contemplation
5. Petitionary Prayer and Intercessory Prayer in Islamic Neoplatonism (PDF of my article “Neoplatonic Prayer)
6. Neoplatonism and objective reality
7. Cosmological Arguments for Neoplatonic Hypostases (my lecture arguing for Neoplatonic hypostases)
8. The One as the explanation for dependent existence
9. Intellect as the explanation for intelligibility and eternal necessary truth (Forms)
10. The Intellect (Nous) eternally proceeds from the One by necessity (PDF of my article on God’s creation being necessary)
11. The Command of God or Pure Existence as the direct emanation from the One that flows in all existents
12. How the “trace” or light” of the One is within all beings
13. The Soul as the source or arche of intelligible and teleological motion
14. How Neoplatonism is alive for Ismaili Muslims today
Watched it. Loved it.
This is gonna be gooood.