Humanism Tendency in Muhammar Arkoun and Nasr Hamed Abu Zayd: A Comparative Criticism

Ali Husain Hudhayli

Abstract
Humanism (al-ansanah) is a philosophical concept focusing on the human as the center of the entire universe. As for the Creator of the human, according to humanism, this has no relation with the universe or its interpretation. This is why humanism is considered as radical secularism, viewing that humans are the center of creations. There is another view that is completely different, and it says that God is the center of the universe and its Creator and Organiser, and the human is God’s creature on this earth and His vicegerent, to achieve justice on earth. This means that the human is not marginal, but central, but within boundaries of what they have been appointed to. These are two view common in thought and philosophy, but in literature, it has another meaning, different to the other meaning, and it is giving human attributes to creation that are non-intelligible, giving it what would come from a human. This is why concern is given to the philosophical meaning, because it is a problematic concept that is disagreed upon. We have concentrated on the Islamic or religious concept of this meaning, which is viewing God-centricity and His appointing of humans as His successor. We have discussed humanism through two thinkers, Muhammar Arkoun and Nasr Hamed Abu Zayd, although they were strongly influenced by Western secularism.
Keywords: Humanism, Arkoun, Abu Zayd, Worldview, Center, Marginalising.

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