Houston, al-Rāzī Has a Problem: Are Humans (Really) the Best of Creation?
This article explores Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s (d. 1210) theological insights on the metaphysical hierarchy of creation to address the question: Can there be extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) superior to human intelligence? By revisiting a long-standing debate in the Islamic tradition concerning the...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Zygon
Year: 2025, Volume: 60, Issue: 2, Pages: 413–39 |
| Further subjects: | B
Human Superiority
B Anthropocentrism B Islamic Theology B Extraterrestrial Intelligence B Islamic Cosmology B Angelic Superiority B Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī B Theological Anthropology |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article explores Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s (d. 1210) theological insights on the metaphysical hierarchy of creation to address the question: Can there be extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) superior to human intelligence? By revisiting a long-standing debate in the Islamic tradition concerning the superiority (afḍaliyyah) of angels versus humans, this article positions al-Rāzī as a pivotal case who diverges from the majority Ashʿarī stance by advocating for angelic superiority. Through a detailed analysis of al-Rāzī’s deconstruction of pro-human superiority arguments and his construction of arguments favoring angels, the article demonstrates how his framework challenges anthropocentric assumptions and broadens theological possibilities. If al-Rāzī’s arguments are deemed successful, his scripturally and rationally grounded framework provides a foundation for envisioning ETI that may surpass humanity in spiritual or intellectual rank. This article contributes uniquely by unveiling al-Rāzī’s underexplored ideas on angelic superiority and integrating them into the context of Islam and ETI, thereby advancing modern discourse on Islamic theological anthropology. |
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| ISSN: | 1467-9744 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Zygon
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.16995/zygon.18951 |
