RIYADH: Modern nations change due to a variety of factors, including values, religion, culture, and presumptions that influence how societies view development, rather than just technological advancement.
One way to comprehend society is through philosophy. It is crucial in determining how a country views modernization, despite the fact that it is frequently perceived as abstract or distant from reality.
In addition to measuring the ethical ramifications of adopting a global worldview, it affects how people see progress and talk about cultural identity.
However, by studying the philosophical ideas that influence national narratives, people may better comprehend why nations embrace some ideologies for growth, reject others, and find it difficult to strike a balance between tradition and innovation.
For instance, Saudi Arabia uses its own philosophy to define its position on the international scene and manage the difficult conflicts between tradition, ambition, and global duty.
Both domestic and foreign intellectuals attended the Philosophy Forum, which was held in Riyadh this week for the fifth year. While several Arab philosophers disagreed, taking into account the Arab perspective on truth, culture, and relativism, others voiced their conviction that there is no ultimate truth during the meeting.
“We need to make a distinction between our cultural belief in absolute truths and the reality of relativity in science—the world is changing because it is relative. For instance, the Holy Qur’an mentions death, which is the only truly absolute object in the world, Essam Gameil, a professor of logic and critical thinking at Cairo University, told Arab News outside the conference.
“Our morals are unchanging; ethical principles are fixed,” he continued. For instance, how can the basic value of respecting others be changed?
In the context of science, certain ideas can be altered, but not in the humanities, religion, or ethics. Constants exist.
“It is the moral principles and rules that drive me forward,” Gameil stated, noting that philosophy was developed to address social problems in the era of Aristotle and Plato.
“It seemed to address social issues… It was designed to deal with deception, lying, and other issues. He claimed that Socrates was only a moral philosopher.
According to Gameil, Saudi Arabia has made “an extraordinary leap” in both philosophy and growth within the Arab world.
According to him, the Kingdom’s interest in philosophy and its planning of a significant philosophical conference are rooted in a key idea that the Saudi leadership discovered: mankind consists of two aspects: a material element, symbolized by the body, and a spiritual side.
The spiritual aspect has frequently been overlooked in studies that usually concentrate on the body, such as artificial intelligence, engineering, and so forth. Gameil stated, “Philosophy is a human science; the more you emphasize it, the more certain concepts become firmly established and ingrained.”
According to Eman Al-Mulhem, a researcher in the philosophy of science at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, the Kingdom’s circumstances offer three very promising avenues: a re-reading of the Arab philosophical legacy using modern approaches, science and technology studies, and the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence.
“This field is become a necessity rather than a luxury. What a machine can do is no longer the question. Instead, she highlighted the ethics and philosophy of AI by asking, “How do we preserve our humanity in a world where we share the power of decision-making with machines?”
“We have a rich heritage, but we need modern tools to understand and reconstruct it, not just explain it,” she continued. In addition to being promising, these fields have the potential to change philosophy’s place in the Arab world.
Al-Mulhem also strives to connect Arab intellectual legacy to concerns of current science. According to her, philosophy aids in reevaluating our relationship with science, people, and the world rather than being disconnected from reality.
“(It) still suffers some global misconceptions, such as being reduced to a mere extension of Greek philosophy or a stagnant tradition,” she stated in response to the topic of whether Arab intellectual heritage is still plagued by misconceptions around the world. She noted that this perception is being corrected by the Riyadh International Philosophy Conference, which brings together philosophers from all over the world.
Through the words of its own professors, they convey Arab heritage in a dynamic setting. Al-Mulhem stated, “At this conference, the world encounters Arab thoughts that engage in dialogue, produce ideas, and critique—not as a static heritage, but as an integral part of contemporary global philosophy.”
Humanity and philosophy are not as far apart as we might think. Every query we pose and every effort we make to comprehend the universe is a philosophical step, she claimed.
“I think the Arab world has a fantastic chance to take back its role in knowledge production rather than just consumption. Additionally, she stated that an Arab scholar might have a long-lasting influence that cuts beyond national borders if given the proper conditions.
Creating the society of the future: The role of intellectual forums in cultural advancement
