Amir Saemi, "Morality and Revelation in Islamic Thought and Beyond: A New Problem of Evil" (Oxford UP, 2024)

·1 hr 30 min·5 clips

Amir Saemi explains the 'new problem of evil': when sacred texts seem to prescribe actions that clash with modern moral judgments.

The episode begins with a promotional survey announcement from the New Books Network. Host Shahnaz Haqqani then introduces the guest, Amir Saemi, and his book on the tension between scripture and morality. Saemi explains his background, moving from electrical engineering in Iran and France to philosophy in California, driven by debates on religion and modernity. He defines the 'new problem of evil' as the conflict between the divinity of scripture, seemingly prescribed evils like wife-beating or slavery, and the reliability of modern moral judgments. Saemi critiques common strategies like reinterpretation and contextualization, arguing they are insufficient. He analyzes medieval Islamic groups—Ash'aris, Mu'tazilis, and philosophers—showing that even reason-friendly thinkers often deferred to scripture in moral specifics. The discussion turns to 'thick' and 'thin' moral concepts, highlighting limitations in traditional approaches. Saemi presents ethics-first solutions, including the 'Moses principle' from the Quranic story where Moses disobeys Khidr, prioritizing moral conscience. He also discusses the story of Hayy ibn Yaqzan to illustrate how scripture might prescribe suboptimal laws for specific contexts. The conversation touches on gendered morality, the ethical significance of the Abraham story, and how scripture can extend moral duties, like strengthening obligations to help immigrants. Saemi shares his current project on why moral philosophy has a marginal role in Islamic thought compared to legalistic Sharia focus. The episode concludes with thanks and future work previews.

As heard by us

A focused review of how scripture-first theories give revelation final authority in moral judgment.

This single-episode review frames a sharp problem in Islamic moral thought: what happens when reason and revelation appear to pull in different directions.

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Why you'd press play

You get a patient, careful tour of what happens when moral reason meets revelation, with scripture-first ethics at the center.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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