Epistemological Bias in the Physical and Social Sciences
Reviewed by Abdul Hai
“They are successful because they left their religion and we are backward because we left our Religion”. Jamal-uddin Al-Afghani
I arrived in Cairo just after the Maghrib prayer during one of my remarkable journeys to Egypt. Upon arrival, I took a taxi with my friend, who had been waiting to receive me. Those who have visited Egypt are well aware that utilizing taxi services in the country can present considerable challenges. The driver, unexpectedly, decided to pick up another passenger—a tall, stocky, and cheerful young man dressed in full Western attire.
One could have easily mistaken him for a resident of downtown New York. After exchanging the customary Islamic greetings, we quickly became engaged in an in-depth conversation regarding the Muslim world. The young man ardently argued about the perceived backwardness of the Arab and Muslim world while extolling the successes of the Western world. Upon learning the purpose of our visit, he even questioned our rationale, asking with a tone of pain and sadness, “Why would you leave London and come here?” What I found most intriguing was that, despite having never left Egypt—as he himself admitted—this young man spoke flawless English with an American or Canadian accent and was firmly convinced that the West had achieved unparalleled success.
Our discussion grew increasingly intense. My friend, possessing a background in the Tablighi Movement, responded to the young man’s frustrations with his characteristic warmth and compassion. Conversely, I found myself becoming rather impassioned. I struggled to comprehend the root of his dissatisfaction with the Islamic and Arab world until I encountered the work Epistemological Bias in the Physical & Social Sciences.
This publication consists of eleven extensive articles authored by distinguished scholars in their respective fields. It was edited by the late Abdel Wahab M. Elmessiri (may Allah have mercy upon him), who also contributed an article titled The Gate of Ijtihad: An Introduction to the Study of Epistemological Bias.
The book is inherently technical, offering a comprehensive analysis of the epistemological bias prevalent in Western intellectual traditions, which is openly manifest in various aspects of modern development. It highlights how this epistemological bias has shaped a narrative that facilitates, in the words of Elmessiri (2006, p. 5), a “cultural invasion” of other societies. The book argues that this narrative is so pervasive and insidious that its influence is nearly imperceptible. The impact of this invisible narrative became evident to me through my encounter with the young man.
The central objective of the book is to demonstrate that Western intellectuals from diverse social and political schools, whether consciously or unconsciously, attempt to (Elmessiri, 2006, p. 5) “impose their cultural paradigms upon the global populace.” These cultural paradigms permeate nearly all domains of the physical and social sciences. They are propagated through subtle mechanisms and are often presented under various labels, such as progress, scientific research, development, so-called empirical evidence, classical and modern literature, and liberalism.
The book critically examines the methodologies employed by the West in both the physical and social sciences, arguing that these approaches are neither universal nor entirely applicable to other cultures, particularly within the Muslim world. It contends that these methodologies are inherently biased from their foundational principles to their theoretical applications. The authors propose an alternative narrative that considers the socio-economic, political, and religious contexts of Muslim societies, fostering a more holistic and balanced relationship between diverse cultures. This integrative philosophy, the book asserts, is notably absent from Western epistemology.
The West has undoubtedly made progress and achieved significant development; however, this progress and development must be understood within a specific historical context. According to Hamed Ibrahim El-Mously, a contributor to the publication (2006, p. 254), it is an “unrepeatable phenomenon,” as the success of the West is based upon the “spread of European imperialism, the colonization of the old and new worlds, and the unprecedented accumulation of wealth” (2006, p. 254). Since the West’s achievements are an “unrepeatable phenomenon,” their relevance to the rest of the world is almost negligible, both in social and political spheres.
Adel Hussein, in his article Bias in Western Schools of Social Thought: Our Heritage as the Starting Point for Development in the publication, notes that the epistemological framework of the West (2006, p. 79) is based on Enlightenment notions, which are fundamentally rooted in the prevalence of secularism (in all its variations) in social affairs. This, in turn, has led to the dominance of secular notions of progress. Consequently, the book proposes a methodology that is Arab-Muslim-centric. However, it takes a balanced approach and advocates benefiting from Western progress and development while integrating the Islamic ethical and moral worldview.
After establishing the existence of epistemological bias in various social and political spheres, the book proceeds to demonstrate that such a reality is not immutable and can indeed be challenged. Ferial J. Ghazoul, in her article Confronting Bias in Third World Culture, undertakes this task by providing a historical analysis, using literature as an example to challenge this bias. Ghazoul examines the works of three African authors to illustrate her point.
All of these works are fictional novels, yet they share a common purpose: challenging the epistemological bias ingrained in the minds of the “colonizers.” For instance, Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart serves as a response to Christian claims of religious superiority. He writes (2006, p. 177), “You say that there is one supreme God who made Heaven and Earth… we also believe in Him and call Him Chukwu. He made all the world….” In other words, Christian doctrine is not inherently superior to African religious traditions. Similarly, Tayeb Salih, in his novel (2006, p. 184), “uses a complex strategy to deconstruct the ready-made image of the African,” thereby seeking to reclaim his and his people’s identities from the Western narrative.
A second objective of the book is to educate Muslims and create a platform that enables Arab-Muslims to progress and achieve similar advancements as the West, without entirely rejecting innovative ideas from other cultures. However, this progress and achievement must be rooted in their own traditions and values—namely, the Quran, the Sunnah, and Islamic history. This should serve as the starting point for Arab-Muslims’ intellectual and material independence. Adel Hussein emphasizes this point (2006, p. 87): “As mentioned earlier, in order to form our own outlook for the future, we must have independent theoretical practices. A prerequisite of such practice is a profound perception of our heritage, with Islam as its core.”
If the motivation to purchase this book is merely to gain a deeper understanding of Adel Hussein’s thesis, then such motivation is commendable. However, the book offers much more. Its exploration of the subject is intellectually stimulating and may serve as the first step toward extricating ourselves from the complexities of the modern world. This book is essential for the library of every Muslim interested in critically analyzing and understanding the dominant global narrative.
