Ethics in the Muslim Public Sphere-December 2008

Ethics in the Muslim Public Sphere
December 2008

A new lecture series – ‘Talking Ethics’ – was launched by The Institute of Ismaili Studies on 27 November 2008. Issues ranging from biomedical and environmental to political ethics in Muslim settings will be explored by leading scholars in the coming year. The inaugural speaker in the series was Professor Armando Salvatore of the University of Naples, whose perspective on the Muslim public sphere has received much acclaim.



Professor Salvatore began by discussing the idea of a public space in which communication – in the form of reportage, comment, debate and discussion – is a key aspect of the emergence of Modernity. These spaces included newspapers, journals, coffee houses and other public forums, from which came the key notion of ‘public opinion’. He drew attention to the work in this regard of the German scholar Jurgen Habermas, whose late 20th century account of ‘communicative action’ as a critical aspect of democratic modernity has been highly influential.

With the encounter of Muslims in the Ottoman empire and elsewhere with Europe, this new public sphere quickly took on particular importance for social reformers from the 18th century onward. Although the colonial framework was one focal point – especially in Egypt, British India and Turkey for figures like Jamal al-Din Afghani, Rashid Rida, Muhammad Abduh, Namik Kemal, Sayyid Ahmed Khan – Professor Salvatore stressed that there were indigenous themes related to Islam that remained vital. In other words, the ‘ethics’ of this Muslim public sphere had an ‘interiority’ beyond the encounter with the European Other. This is especially evident in the work of Muhammad Iqbal. Professor Salvatore noted the recent scholarly account of Talal Asad on this rich ‘interiority’.

Contemporary aspects of this legacy – with regard to the idea of the public good or maslaha, and issues of human rights – were highlighted in the introductory remarks by Dr. Amyn B. Sajoo, the series’ organiser. The talk was followed by a spirited question-answer session, focusing on the relationship between secular and religious dimensions of the public sphere.

For more information on the Institute’s seminars and lectures, please refer to the Seminars, Conferences and Public Lectures pages. For dates and times of future seminars and lectures, please refer to the Forthcoming Events page.

Abstract of the Lecture 'Ethics in the Muslim Public Sphere'