Mohammed Arkoun’s Criticism of “Religious Mind’

Abstract

This paper examines Mohammed Arkoun’s concept of ‘Mind’ in Islam. Arkoun distinguishes between the metaphysical mind with its absolute entireties on one side and the historic human mind on the other. He submits the mind to the historic criticism in order to eliminate the holiness and highness associated with it. On the other hand, he encompasses the ‘mind’ within the human context. Therefore, he no longer considers it as an absolute and abstract entity that lives outside the spatiotemporal limits. Rather, it is related to specific conditions and concerns. It is also relative and hence subject to changeable historic circumstances. In conclusion, Arkoun turns the divine metaphysical concept of mind into a variety of intellectual changeable forms.