Morality in the Public Sphere Islamic Ethics and the Common Good

Morality in The Public Sphere: Islamic Ethics and The Common Good

This is an edited transcript of a Public Lecture on "Morality in The Public Sphere: Harnessing Islamic Ethics for the Common Good." It was delivered at MUIS Auditorium on 22 July 2016.

Full transcript of the Public Lecture on "Morality in The Public Sphere: Harnessing Islamic Ethics for the Common Good".

Abstract of the lecture:

Why discuss past wisdom in the modern, secular common space? Even though rational modernity relegated religion as a personal and private affair, the norms that regulate the public sphere have both implicit and explicit religious roots. Since all religions promote the cultivation of virtue for harmonious societies, they have been defining public morality in the aim to provide solutions to current societal challenges. Muslims have been drawing inspiration from the heritage of Islamic traditions and are engaging with new methodologies to interpret them in their increasingly plural societies.

In this lecture, Professor Dr Ebrahim Moosa focuses on Prophet Muhammad’s enduring Islamic Ethics and legacy, proposing a revival of Islamic thought. He will emphasise the importance of critical and creative engagement with Islamic traditions, necessary in offering visionary solutions to lead and shape communities towards a more progressive understanding of religious life in the modern world. Lastly, he will highlight the ways in which these practical ethics can contribute to the Common Space of the pluralistic global society.