by Prof. Alparslan Acikgenc
The epistemological ground of science can be deduced from primarily its cognitive nature. A tradition, on the other hand, is a social phenomenon, which springs from the social constitution of our nature and as such cannot be deduced from the cognitive aspect of science. This shall lead us to distinguish the cognitive, or rather the epistemic ground of science from its social aspect. In fact, these two aspects of science spring from two aspects of man, which must be somehow reflected in all human activities as well; epistemological and sociological. We do not mean, however, that all aspects of man are reducible to these two alone; on the contrary, our aim, being rather pragmatic, is to show that science as a human activity must manifest such characteristics of man which will be examined here as the social and epistemological grounds of science. This is also the case with the concept of science in Islam. Without developing these two grounds of scientific activities we cannot investigate how a scientific tradition emerged in Islam. Read more : 24 page PDF file.
The Iranian Revolution at 30
The Iranian Revolution, was one of the most important — and influential — events in the region’s recent history. This issue’s contributors reflect on the significance of the Revolution, whose ramifications continue to echo through the Middle East down to the present day.
Provocative essays from 53 academics and policy experts discuss the Revolution’s effects on many different facets of life in Iran, including gender issues, education, media, the environment, energy, and foreign policy. The essays provide an opportunity for reflection on the Revolution’s positive and negative outcomes, as well as its long-term influence and future prospects. Complementing the essays is an extensive resource section of maps, statistics, a timeline, an extensive selected bibliography and detailed schematics of Iran’s internal power structure. Read more : 300 pages PDF