Courses

Duquesne University

  • PHIL 450W/550

    Islamic Philosophy

    Spring - 2022

    Department: 
    Philosophy
    Prerequisites: 
    some familiarity with ancient philosophy (Platonism, Aristotle)
    Credits: 
    3

    A survey of major philosophers from the classical period of Islamic thought. Among those whose works we will sample are Kindī (Alkindi), Rāzī (Rhazes), Fārābī (Alfarabi), Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), Ġazālī (Algazel), Ibn Rušd (Averroes), and Ibn Bajja (Avempace). We will give special attention, as did they, to the relation between philosophy and prophecy and that between philosophy and theology, to Islamic occasionalism, and to the nature and destiny of the soul.

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    Yes
    Student Population: 
    Graduate
    Undergraduate
    Region(s): 
    Subject(s): 
  • PHIL 450W and PHIL 550

    Islamic Philosophy

    Spring - 2020

    Department: 
    Philosophy
    Prerequisites: 
    some knowledge of Greek philosophy
    Credits: 
    3
    Enrollment: 
    15

    This course provides an introduction to major philosophers from the classical period of Islamic thought through their own writings. We will give special attention, as did they, to the relation between philosophy and prophecy and that between philosophy and theology, to divine and natural causality, and to the nature and destiny of the soul.

    Readings:

    • al-Kindī, On First Philosophy (preface, on foreign learning)
    • pseudo-Aristotle, Exposition of Pure Goodness (a monotheistic reworking of a polytheistic text)
    • al-Kindī, The One True and Complete Agent and the Incomplete Metaphorical ‘Agent’ (on divine and natural causes)
    • al-Kindī, On the Means of Dispelling Sorrows
    • al-Fārābī, Commentary on the Treatise of Zeno, the Great Man of Greece and the introduction to Harmonization of the Two Opinions of the Two Sages: Plato the Divine and Aristotle (on everything from prophetology to the nature of the afterlife)
    • Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna), Book of Definitions and The Cure: The Soul (selections)
    • al-Ġazālī, Incoherence of the Philosophers (prefaces and §17, attacking natural science)
    • Ibn Rušd (Averroës), Incoherence of the Incoherence (§17, defending natural science); Decisive Treatise (status of philosophy in Islamic law)
    • Ibn Bajja (Avempace), Conjunction of the Intellect with Man (on the fulfillment of human life)

    and other texts as time allows.

    For more details, see https://duq.edu/assets/Documents/philosophy/1pagesyllabi/PHIL450-Spring2...

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Student Population: 
    Graduate
    Undergraduate
    Region(s): 
    Subject(s): 

University of Pittsburgh

  • 31613

    Urban Anthropology

    Spring - 2018

    Department: 
    Anthropology
    Prerequisites: 
    N/A
    Credits: 
    3

    ANTH 1755: This course seeks to examine cities, and city life, from various lenses: ethnographic, historical, and geographic. Through various studies of the growth and impact of cities, we will analyze changing infrastructures and technologies from/in/by urban life. Various worldwide contexts will uniform our conversations of greater urban living and an ongoing focus on the processes of urbanism in the Arabian Gulf (Dubai, Doha, Kuwait) threads through the course.

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Student Population: 
    Undergraduate
    Region(s): 
  • 31668

    Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology: Visual Culture in the Middle East

    Spring - 2018

    Department: 
    Anthropology
    Prerequisites: 
    N/A
    Credits: 
    3

    ANTH 1737:How are social media and visual technologies shaping new forms of identity, community, and politics in the Middle East? This course problematizes and analyzes the role of new media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope, etc.) through an anthropological lens. We will adopt the lens of the smartphone and other internet enabled platforms to explore the stakes of this unique visual form of production, circulation, and storage of images and data. New media technologies have fundamentally changed the way we interact with one another and the world but also the way states, corporations and even private citizens can monitor our movements and actions. This has raised a gamut of concerns about large scale data storage systems, collection of personal metadata, face recognition, tracking, geotagging. How have new forms of social media and digital surveillance technologies impacted our understanding of subjectivity, privacy, and citizenship? How do they tie into new commercialization and marketing techniques? How do they employ affective registers and foster new forms of imagined communities? What is their role in “emancipatory” politics across various context in the world – especially after the “Arab Spring?”

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Student Population: 
    Undergraduate
    Region(s): 

Carnegie Mellon University

  • 82215

    Arab Culture Through Film and Literature

    Fall - 2017

    Department: 
    Modern Languages
    Credits: 
    3

    Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:00 -1:30PM - Porter Hall A19A
    This course introduces students to the diversity of Arab culture in the Middle East and North Africa through a variety of critically-acclaimed films and two novels. The course topics aim to challenge stereotypes and foster a better understanding of Arab societies. Topics covered are the role of religion vis-à-vis key social and family values in everyday life, childhood and education, homo/sexuality, and gender roles. Students also learn about revolution music and art that emerged since the Arab Spring, and will have the opportunity to engage in two video-conference dialogues with students at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and a Saudi university, and will additionally interview one or two native speakers of an Arab country to further their learning. There will be one cooking workshop on Arab cuisine! Taught in English.
    Contact Nevine Abraham with any questions: nabrah@andrew.cmu.edu

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Region(s): 
  • 82-300

    Spring 16 Arab Identities and Gender Roles in Conflict Zones in Film and Literature

    Spring - 2016

    Department: 
    Modern Languages
    Prerequisites: 
    None
    Credits: 
    3

    Course meets MWF 1:30-2:20

    • This course focuses on the processes of self-definition by Arab men and women in the Middle East and North Africa with relation to
    o national and religious identities,
    o social stratification,
    o sexuality/homosexuality, and
    o gender roles.

    • Students will learn about the social, economic, and political contexts of the films and literary works representing the Maghreb, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, the Gulf countries, and Yemen.

    • This course fosters a better understanding of Arab societies and the hybrid identities that negotiate their presence and space within.

    • Students will
    o engage in a video-conference dialogue with students in the American University in Cairo, Egypt,
    o attend an Arab film during CMU’s International Film Festival, and
    o interview native speakers of different Arab countries to further their learning of Arab culture.
    Conducted in English.

    Satisfies General Education Requirements (Critical Thinking).

    Email Professor Nevine Abraham nabrah@andrew.cmu.edu

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Student Population: 
    Undergraduate
    Region(s): 
  • 82-115

    Arabic for Oral Communication- Carnegie Mellon University

    Summer - 2015

    Department: 
    Modern Languages
    Prerequisites: 
    None
    Credits: 
    2

    ARABIC FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION
    (Summer 1 May 18th to june 25th - 6 UNITS equivalent to 2 CREDITS) - 3 meetings a week for 1hr 20 minutes each - tentatively MWF 11:00-12:20 or can be arranged with instructor (nabrah@andrew.cmu.edu)
    Arabic for Oral Communication is designed for students who desire to learn how to orally communicate in Arabic. This course does not teach how to read or write Arabic. It offers students the opportunity to engage in conversation that expands on the linguistic topics offered in Arabic for Global Exchange, using a spoken Arabic that would be widely understood anywhere in the Arab World. The conversation topics include greetings, explaining one's background, formal and informal meetings, eating out and ordering food, shopping and bargaining, using transportation, expressing feelings and opinion, describing things, people, and hobbies, and in addition, students will learn common expressions and their uses.

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Region(s): 
  • 82300

    Negotiating Arab Identities & Gender Roles in Film & Literature - Carnegie Mellon University

    Spring - 2015

    Department: 
    Modern Languages
    Prerequisites: 
    None
    Credits: 
    3

    This course focuses on the processes of self-definition by Arab men and women in literature and their representation in film. These processes include expressions of sexuality, body image, the motif of un/veiling, the issues of filiation and affiliation, and national and religious identities. Each process will be identified within a spatial and temporal context in light of the manifestations of the socio-cultural changes. The purpose of this course is to foster a better understanding of the many values on which Arab societies are constructed and how the hybrid identities negotiate their presence and space within.
    Class discussions will be enriched by:
    -attending a local Undergraduate Symposium,
    -engaging in Skype/VideoConferencing discussion(s) with Arab students on campuses in the Middle East/North Africa, and
    -having guest speakers.

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Region(s): 
  • 82114

    Arabic for Global Exchange (Mini) - Carnegie Mellon University -

    Spring - 2015

    Department: 
    Modern Languages
    Prerequisites: 
    None
    Credits: 
    2

    7 Class Meeting: Tuesdays 1:30-2:50 - 1/13- 1/20 - 1/27 - 2/3 - 2/10 - 2/17 - 2/24 (this is a Mini3 course)

    Course Objectives:
    - To acquire necessary cultural knowledge of the Arabic-Speaking World.
    - To learn basic, functional Arabic vocabulary that will enable you to converse in a basic, Arabic conversation. You will learn how to greet and respond to greetings, order food in a restaurant, and use important expressions and Arabic etiquette for every day conversation when traveling to an Arabic-speaking country or having a professional meeting.

    Topics covered:
    - Cultural content: Lesson 1/Diversity in the Arabic-Speaking World; Lesson 2/Historical Aspects of Islam; Lesson 3/Family and Society; Lesson 4/Political Governance; Lesson 5/America and the Arab World; Lesson 6/Mūsīqā to Your Ears and Eyes.
    - Linguistic content: Lesson 1/Greetings! Marhaba!; Lesson 2/ Eating Out and Shopping; Lesson 3/ Visit to a Home in the Arabic-Speaking World; Lesson 4/ Traveling to an Arabic-Speaking Country; Lesson 5/Professional Meetings; Lesson 6/Common Expressions in Arabic.

    Primary Focus on Islam?: 
    No
    Region(s): 

Islamic Center of Pittsburgh

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