You might have noticed already, but I recently created another thread asking about how I could combine Islam with the study of Cognitive Science, as its a field I might be interested in studying. I feel like it's important to expose myself to all of the new advances, but at the same time I need to hear how Islam responds to all these things.
hmm... i replied at that other thread.... hmm... i don't know why you started another thread... well any ways..
I agree with Brother Tango and others... our Minds are not equipped well to understand what is definition of right and wrong.... we need a higher source of guidance that can inform our reasoning... that is reason why God kept sending Prophets to guide mankind.... as our minds are limited just as we ourselves are limited creatures in the Whole Big Wide Universe...and so Quran says...
(76:1) Was there a period of time when man was not even worthy of a mention?
We as limited beings who have ability not to see beyond and use our external experience to figure out our destiny and the Mystery of the universe.... since even though mankind has developed and has progressed in Science, still it has to answer many reasons as to why we're created , why were we born , why did this Universe come in to existence, and there are plenty of whys.... which need to be answered and cannot be answered due to limited sphere of external...
so this shows that mankind is in need of a Higher source which can help it understand and connect it to higher Reality , which then can answer all the whys for him..... other than that, with his limited perception , which is dependent on his external experience, he can come up to conclusions which can be full of errors and can cause serious imbalance...
When we have Divine Guidance or Religious way, which we can connect with our reason and make that the Basis to explore the Universe then that observation in turn helps us learn as well as Understand the Creator and His Creative Power, which then helps us keep a Balance with in ourselves and with our environment....and as compared to the mind which keeps exploring and observing and trying to perceive beyond its physical which it cannot, definitely, without the help of higher source, gets caught up in the quagmire of theories which he is not too sure about, and they always keep changing.....
Also the reason i said that this would help us keep balance is because, we when have our Ups and downs in our lives, and if we just ignore the Religion and try to understand just on the basis of our reason we will think that its some blind forces which are making this happen, and then that leads towards superstition as well, which are also the product of our own minds and so we would never be able to be at peace within ourselves.... but if a person who uses Divine guidance to understand the universe and the world around him and his life, then those Ups and Downs are outcome of God's way of dealing with the creation which then in turn helps him/her keep a balance within themselves and there fore that person becomes spiritually inclined more towards the Higher Reality which distinguishes himself from irreligious people...
and it is there fore Muhammad (Saw) said....
A believer is the one when he faces difficulty or hardship he bears it patiently and remembers his Lord and when he is given a blessing he remembers and thanks his lord.
So as i had mentioned to the brother who started this thread previously, that the Philosophy of mind, or Philosophical subjects have also been dealt by Scholars of Islam, and there has always been Islamic Philosophers throughout the History of Muslims, who have written philosophical works, which are available online and in libraries....
Examples are Mulla Sadra, Ibn Sina, Imam Ghazali, Ibn Arabi etc.... great Muslim Philosophers who dealt with subjects of Philosophy under the light of Islamic Traditions and have answered beautifully the different aspects of our lives and if Philosphy of mind or philosophical subjects are studied purely intellectually, without religion then, because of our reason not being well equipped to comprehend the Higher realities, then our conclusions can and will take us away even further away from God....
...and so i suggest, either dont mess around with such subjects, which consider human mind to be able to explore everything, or if you do think of taking the course then read Islamic Philosophy on the side, which makes God the bases of all our knowledge acquired externally and which makes the picture clear for us.... and avoids all doubts and suspicion about religious way of life and God...
Since Islamic World was divided in to Individual nations during Colonization... our Muslim way of acquiring knowledge has gone from our part of the World, the East... plus with Corrupt puppet regimes after colonization, such way to aqcuire knolwedge was never worked upon... and so the best way i see to go about in the World for us Muslims is, to read Islam thoroughly side by side with Secular knowledge, so we do not end up having doubts about our Din (islamic way of life) as it is creating in the hearts of many young Muslims, who go through pure Secular education system....whether in West or in most countries of Muslim World...